A New Age
by Solaris Potentia
Summary: Set over a decade after the conclusion of the story of RWBY, this bittersweet story follows the characters in the aftermath of a great war. Some have found love and romance, some now have families. Some are still hunters, others have become teachers. One may even be a Maiden. Deals with both happy themes and situations and darker themes like death and PTSD. Prepare your feels.
1. Prologue

A New Age:

Prologue:

 _It was called the War of Light, the battle for the salvation of the world and all human life upon its surface. The darkness, led by the accursed being Salem, and the pawns of shadow, arose to do battle with the guardians of the world._

 _An epic war, waged over the course of seven long years, taking countless lives, was fought, the kingdoms shuddering beneath the onslaught of Grimm and the toll it brought upon the defenders of the people._

 _However, throughout the war, the heroics of the legendary hunters held at bay the hordes of darkness, and together, they led the battle for the light, the battle to save mankind from its ancestral foe._

 _Led by such living legends as Ruby Rose, the silver eyed heroine who wielded power untold, Weiss Schnee, the lady of the elements, Blake Belladonna, avatar of justice, Yang Xiao Long, the mighty warrior of skill unmatched, Jaune Arc, the great tactician and leader both, Nora Valkyrie, the new Fall Maiden, and Lie Ren, the fury of the wind, accompanied by numerous legends and warriors of renown, they met the darkness head on and prevailed, for the light of such beings can burn away even the darkest of shadows._

 _-From "The Heroes and Legends of the Remnant New Age: Volume 1" by B. Oobleck_

 **A/N:** **In this story, it is relying only on what we have seen in the show as of Volume 3, and then made assumptions. Number 1) All of RWBY and the remainders of JNPR survive, as do most teams. Ozpin never returns to Beacon. Glynda takes his place as leader, before retiring after the war, along with Qrow, Taiyang, and Oobleck. Port, Ironwood and Ozpin all die at some point between Volume 3 and this story, either in battle, or other reasons. Raven remains evasive, and, while on good terms with her daughter, Yang harbours no desire to find her again. Adam was killed by Blake. Cinder was killed by Nora after a battle involving Cinder and JNR, making Nora the new Fall Maiden, as Cinder could not believe that Nora had killer her. Thus making Nora now a literal Thor with lightning powers. Salem was killed by Ruby. Yang got a robot arm. People are married to people that have passing romances in the show, except Yang, who got an OC. So, no Bumblebee or Whiterose, as much as I may have wanted. Grimm still exist in the world, but as mindless beasts, and not as virulent. This works a bit on the premise that 3 Volumes equal 1 Year, so, by that logic, the seven years of war would end in Volume 21, which makes for a good timeline. So, without further ado, enjoy!**

Status of all the characters. Set approximately 20 years after Volume 3 ends and 13 after the conclusion of The Great War of Light.

Ruby Rose: At age 35, Ruby Rose, "The Saviour of the World", "The Spirit of Victory", "The Rose of Humanity", "The Grand Huntress", "Lady of the Light" and holder of a hundred other titles and honorifics, Ruby Rose is the single most decorated huntress in the history of Remnant, seen by some as a hero, others as a living legend, and some as the salvation of mankind, bordering on the divine. In the aftermath of the Great War of Light, Ruby Rose, the slayer of Salem, aged in her early twenties, was offered a place as headmistress of Beacon, in the place of Glynda Goodwitch, who assumed that role after Ozpins disappearance. While more than capable of taking that role, Ruby humbly declined, stating that her long-time friend, Jaune Arc, would be a much better candidate. Ruby settled in to a relatively quiet life on Hero's Abode, formerly called Patch. She still serves as the greatest huntress on missions far beyond the walls of the kingdoms, but, in the aftermath of the war, mankind is expanding its borders like never before…

Ruby still visits friend and family all over the world, and whenever she visits the kingdoms, she is besieged by hordes of adoring fans, much to her dismay. She is still the same simple, honest soul as she was when this all began…albeit more wise to the ways of the world…

Weiss Schnee: At the age of 37, Weiss Schnee runs the Schnee dust company after her father's untimely passing at the hands of White Fang insurgents many years prior. Leading the company to new heights, she has taken it to an unseen golden age. With her first act being the abolishment of any, and all, questionable or morally grey aspects or agents of the company, Weiss restored the name to proud, glorious honour. She has also been instrumental in working with her long-time friend and former team member Blake Belladonna, leader of a reformed White Fang, in building an equal world for human and faunas alike. Weiss Schnee, at 25, married her long time romantic partner, Neptune, and the two have lived together in Atlas since, having two children, Cyan and Azure.

Blake Belladonna: Aged 37, Blake Belladonna has led the White Fang into a reform into a peaceful organisation after the former leader, Adam Taurus, was slain by her hand in battle. A new, long lasting peace has been forged between the Faunas and Humans, with the racism and indiscrimination of years passed becoming a fading memory, with only a few radical and quickly dwindling conservatives or supremacists left remaining, soon to be left behind by the social reform. Blake Belladonna married Sun Wukong, and currently live together in Vale, often visitors to Beacon and Signal. Blake has become the icon of peace and goodwill within the kingdoms, the bringer of justice, and is rightly praised in many medias, as are her other team mates.

Yang Xiao Long: One of the youngest professional teachers at Beacon at 37, Yang Xiao Long is the newly appointed duelling instructor at Beacon, after Glynda's retirement. Widely hailed as one of the best hand to hand combatants in the world, this appointment was not at all surprising. Yang Xiao Long is still famed for her playful personality, her fiery temper, and her radiant beauty, but her heart belongs to one person, and one along, something many would have thought impossible in her youth, to Xun Long, a hunter born in Vacuo whom she encountered in the Great War of Light. The two married in the immediate aftermath of the war and live on the premises of Beacon.

Jaune Arc: A veteran of the War of Light, Jaune Arc proved to be a great leader and general both, a master tactician and, it turns out, a powerful hunter in his own right. Hardened by long years of training and rigorous combat, Jaune Arc became renowned as a master swordsman in addition to his mastery of battle tactics and strategy. Following the restructuring of the Kingdoms, and many of the older generation retiring, Jaune Arc took the place of Headmaster of Beacon Academy after his old friend, Ruby Rose, declined that same spot. Jaune Arc has been headmaster now for a total of 12 years, and runs the campus side by side with the rather unlikely second in command, Coco Adel, herself a veteran of the war, haunted by the sights she saw and the ones she lost. Jaune is respected deeply by all the teachers and students, and many see him as the spiritual successor to Ozpin.

Nora Valkyrie: In an epic duel, Nora Valkyrie landed the killing blow on Cinder Fall with her mighty hammer, slaying the already wounded Cinder with one great blow. Cinder, however, could not believe that her end could come from a person such as Nora, and thus her hate filled thoughts meant the power transferred to her. Wielding such great power has matured the young woman over the years, and now she wanders the world, using her powers for good, to put down any Grimm infestation that arises, or to aid humanity in its expansion and rebuilding process. While she rarely gets to visit the kingdoms on a casual basis, she always makes sure to see her old friend turned lover, Lie Ren. While the two never married, it is very clear what their feelings for each other are.

Lie Ren: Called "The Fury of the Wind", Lie Ren has proven to be an excellent hunter and a great warrior, one of the heroic idols of the New Age. However, long years of brutal combat have wearied him, and he no longer takes to the field as often as he once did. Instead, he has a position at Beacon academy as the resident professor of history, filling the gap left by Oobleck's retirement. A quiet and well-spoken teacher, well admired by peers and students alike, Lie Ren is content with his life, the quiet solitude he finds in his work and the peace he sees in his students. His only lament is that he and Nora could not be together at all times as he so often wishes…


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

 _Do you lie awake at night? Thinking about them? Or have you forgotten their screams, their pain, the agony and suffering? What is it that haunts you behind closed eyes?_

In the cold, dark confines of his room, Jaune Arc felt oddly at peace. He remembered times when he awoke in a room of similar style, and he remembered how his life was once back then, and, more importantly, who he shared it with.

Now though, it was almost twenty years since. He was but a boy back then, a youthful being full of hope for the future. Not at all troubled by his past, not all haunted by those lives he could not protect. Haunted by those he failed…

Standing up, he pulled himself out of bed and cast his gaze around his bedroom. It was odd to think that this was his, now, as Headmaster. Oh, how those twenty years changed him. Donning his professional attire, a stylish black suit with a red tie and a flowing white cape, he placed his restyled white armour on top.

 _Once a hunter, always a hunter._

He admired the new design, as he did every morning, as he had for the last 13 years. It was still his armour, but reforged stronger, infused with dust of the highest calibre, a gift from a certain white haired CEO. The outline still retained the same style, but it had intricate symbolism carved into it, courtesy of none other than his brother-in-arms, Lie Ren. The whole ensemble was worn over his suit, with the exception of his breastplate, which could now compact into a smaller frame on his back, making it appear more like an open, white, armoured vest upon his world class suit, a present from none other than Coco Adel, his friend of many years, and now, it seemed, second in command of the running of Beacon. Who would have thought it, all those years ago, that they were to be the successors of Ozpin and Goodwitch?

After administering the final touches to his appearance, including combing his blonde hair into a stylish manner, he placed his sword on his belt, feeling it's comforting weight, the reforged hilt including an intricate overlay of roses, no doubt the trademark of its producer. Opening the door to his bedroom and entering the main room of his on grounds living area, he swiftly strode over to the exit, and stepped into the hallway, to be greeted to the, as always, perfectly punctual Coco Adel.

Clad in what was no doubt her old school hunter outfit redesigned for the latest, modern, trends, she leant against the wall opposite his door, her handbag around her belt, the dust round bandolier slung over her shoulder and on her wrists, she still retained all of her stylistic grace she had for years. The only sign of aging was her hair, now waist length, and three scars running over her face, one narrowly missing her eyes. Her orange highlights seemed paler than it had a few years ago, and was not as prominent in her richly coloured hair, but it was still recognisable as her. Jaune doubted that of himself. He had grown taller, his form more muscular, his blonde hair combed neatly to the right, obscuring half his forehead. He also had a light blonde beard and sideburns, below which lay a scar on his left check where a dust round had grazed him, burning the skin. He had felt like he was dying at the time, but a quick to reassure Nora said it was but a scratch.

Jaune felt a small tinge of sadness when he remembered that Nora was away so often, and he could no longer see her almost every day, as he had for so long. He wandered how Ren handled this sadness.

"Is everything alright there, Headmaster?" Came the soft voice of Coco, yet underlying it was a persistent and authoritarian tone of someone who had spent years as a leader in the harshest of conditions.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, all is fine. I was just thinking how different we all look from our younger selves." He replied truthfully, leaving out the part about feeling sad about Nora's absence.

"Oh? You mean to tell me you were admiring my looks then? Glad to see I can still turn heads then, even at this age" She laughed, jostling Jaune on the shoulder.

"At this age? Please, your' only a year older than me, and I consider myself young. We haven't aged that much" Jaune exclaimed, elbowing her back.

Coco laughed as they walked the length of the halls, two living legends, two war heroes, two hunters and teachers, and, most importantly, two friends, side by side, sharing playful banter and witty retorts. Descending the elevator from the apartment building and out into the early morning air of Beacon, the two cast their gaze around the campus, making sure everything was in check for the arrival of the new first year students later that day.

"Well, I guess we should assemble the other teachers in a meeting about the initiation and all that" Jaune remarked, passing several students on early morning jogs. Most of them stopped and nodded at him and Coco as they walked to the dining hall for breakfast.

"Mr. Arc. Mrs. Adel" They said, smiling, but when Coco reminded them sternly it was still "Ms Adel", not "Mrs. Adel", the smiles fell. Coco laughed at the student's reactions, informing them, if anything, she would like to be called "Coco". She didn't want to be seen as something detached from her student's lives. Jaune smiled at every single interaction she had. Soon there will be another batch of students to get acclimatised to working with the living legends they grew up hearing so much about. Jaune thought fondly on how, soon, the first daughter of Weiss and Neptune would be attending their first year of combat school in Atlas. Jaune then thought on how the students coming here would react to the teachers. After all, the first years now had only been born in the third year of the war, one of its darkest points, and four when it ended. Thirteen years had passed since then, thirteen years of untold peace and prosperity arising in the aftermath, however rough it may have been at first. They had lived thirteen years of their lives learning about these great warriors, and were hearing all about the great expansion and crusade out into the world in the wake of the largest battle in mankind's history, a crusade to once and for all secure the dominance of humanity across the world and to defeat the Grimm for all eternity.

Boy, were they in for a surprise when they met some of the teachers here…


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Professor Ren:

 _Fire roared all around him, the sounds of guns ringing in his ear as Bullheads screamed overhead, machine gun fire filling the air as smoke trails from rockets arced up from city walls into the flocks of Nevermores above. Railguns mounted on the vast towers atop the walls of Atlas let out round after round of supercharged dust into lumbering Goliaths, and hundreds of Atlesian knights and Paladins met the swarming ranks of Beowolves in the tundra._

 _The vast bulk of an Atlesian air ship loomed overhead as it unleashed a barrage of superheated dust lasers into a horde of Ursa, the fire blasting them, and the snow around them, into a fine mist. Artillery thudded from within the safety of the city walls, but the constant sounds of Grimm advancing meant it was doing little good._

 _Running forward, a figure dove forward, automatic machine pistols spraying a volley of rounds into a clutch of Creeps as they circled a crashed Bullhead. A sudden flash of light struck his eyes as lightning arced down from the skies, the bolts scarring the ground. The tang of metallic ozone filled the air as a figure descended from the heavens like an avenging meteor, wreathed in spectral flame as it struck the ground, a hammer briefly seen in the flame as a blast of energy radiated outward and instantly felled a marching Goliath on the spot, severely wounding nearby Ursa. A figure was seen briefly in the smoke raising a hammer, as lightning lashed out and decimated all the Grimm around the impact zone._

 _Striding towards the figure, he radiated a purple light as he moved with swiftness thought inconceivable, a blur on the field of battle, the wind given shape as he felled foe after foe, the sounds of battle reaching a deafening high as he…_

Ren jolted upright in a flash, throwing his blankets off as he looked around his room, the pale morning light shining through the curtains cast over his window. He swallowed nervously as he made sure he wasn't awoken by an intruder, but then he remembered.

 _I'm at Beacon. Surrounded by friends. The war is over. It has been for 13 years._

Ren lifted himself out of bed, the covers falling away from his clenched fists as he gently opened them, flexing his fingers and stretching his back. Ren had had similar dreams before, dreams of the numerous battles he had fought. Most of them were just the same scenes over and over, and endless cycle of violence. He was thankful he only saw these scenes-some of his other friends have described dreams haunted by sights of their friend's bodies lying on the ground, the hopelessness they feel in the dream, the sadness when they wake up…

Ren shook his head. He didn't want these feelings to take over him, especially since the new first year students would be arriving today. Ren moved over to his closet and removed his robes, almost identical to the ones he wore to Beacon as a student, but this time they were reinforced with armour plates on the shoulders and torso, a lightweight and flexible metallic weave akin to a bullet proof vest, with the same embroidery style as his normal clothes, placed over the top, and a set of gloves with woven dust to improve his hand to hand prowess. Looking to all the world like an armoured monk, Ren tied his hair into two long pony tails that went down to his waist, his pink highlight more pronounced on the side of his face due to an increase in length down to his neck. He did so to conceal a rather nasty claw mark where a baby Nevermore had latched onto when he was scaling a mountain during the Second Vale Campaign.

Ren, after checking his appearance in the mirror, moved out into the hallway and then the courtyard, on the way to the cafeteria. Upon arrival, the early morning smell of warm foods being cooked made for a blessed relief for his sleep addled mind. Ren had never been much of a morning person, but some mornings, he would prefer to be awake than to face those dreams again…

Ren found that his favourite meal, a plate of pancakes, was already prepared by the, seemingly psychic, Beacon cooking staff. Nodding his thanks to the young lady behind the counter (who blushed inexplicably at the sight) he walked over to his favourite spot, the very same seat he had as a student, and looked to his watch.

A pink, digital watch with sloths on it.

Needless to say, this was not actually his own watch. But he would be damned if he wore any other.

At exactly 5:33, the door opened and Jaune and Coco walked in, no doubt after an early wake up themselves, in preparation for the day ahead. The two got their meals, sat down in silence, and ate. To an outside viewer who had seen them as students and who could see them now, the only indication of a passage of time was their maturity and physical appearance.

"So, new students arriving today. I assume you have a speech, Jaune?" Coco asked after she deemed three coffees the sufficient requisite to allow her brain access to higher order functions, such as intelligent conversation.

"I wouldn't count on it" Ren quipped, familiar with his old friends somewhat relaxed approach to anything related to public speaking. Jaune scowled in the typical manner of friends at Ren before turning to Coco.

"No, I do not have a speech written down. I'll just say something when the time arises, add some convincing gestures, and it all be fine". He said with confidence. Jaune wasn't really the one to be all official and so forth. Ren smiled fondly at Jaune when he remembered that he once used that same excuse in their dorm one night, when they had a speech due the next day in History. Nora would have no trouble, she could consume the entire lesson by ad-lib alone, and Ren had been very efficient. He still remembered Jaune's casual attitude, and how Pyrrha had…

Ren's fond smile faded when he remembered those times when they were all together as one.

Maintaining his expression, lest the others see his face fall, he resumed his smile and nodded.

"Because that always works, doesn't it?" Coco stated dryly. "Hell, come to think of it, you could just get up there and say nonsense for a few moments before walking off. You're the bloody hero of Remnant, the great general, after all!" She said, patting him on the back. Jaune blushed a bit at the praise, his humble nature still intact even though he was adored by the whole world, and had been for many years. Ren greatly admired that in his friend.

"By the way, Ruby is the hero of Remnant, not me. I am just the General" Jaune corrected, laughing.

"Ah yes. Good old Ruby. Any chance she may visit this initiation?" Coco asked, looking to both Jaune and Ren, in case one of them held an answer. Jaune shook his head.

"Ruby is pretty hard to track. She never keeps still for long, always out on a mission. I think Yang might know her last whereabouts, or if she has said anything about coming in today. Maybe you should go ask her" Jaune said. Ren chuckled to himself while Coco shook her head.

"What?" Jaune asked innocently, a small smile tugging on his face. He knew why they wouldn't be able to ask Yang at this point in time.

"It's barely 6:00 in the morning, Jaune" Ren stated bluntly. Jaune turned to him.

"And…?" He questioned, the smile now visible.

"Whoever goes to ask her would have to do it sometime before now and 8:00. The day starts at 8:30, new students arrive at 9:00. To get an answer that can help us plan, it would ideally be between now and 8:20. If we go see her before 8:00, however, I seriously doubt that she would be awake. And I do not want to wake up Yang. Especially since she would be sharing a bed with Xun. I could not conceive of a worse plan, master tactician" Coco said in the manner of one outlaying the risks for a dangerous mission. Which this was.

"Very well" Jaune sighed in defeat. "How about the next person who walks through the door does it" he said. Ren and Coco, satisfied that they weren't going to be horribly butchered in a few hours, or less, agreed almost immediately.

"The poor sod who opens that door next…" Jaune laughed as Ren and Coco turned with baited breath as the door begun to open to reveal…

"Perhaps you should've said 'Next teacher'" Ren said bluntly as a third year student walked in.

"Shut up and call it extra credit" Coco hissed to Ren as Jaune called the hapless young man forward to their table.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The dragon of the sun and the dragon tamer:

 _Metal screeched against claw as Yang held the Beowolf at bay with her cybernetic arm, the machine construct matching, then swiftly overwhelming, the beast's strength as she emptied her automatic Ember Celica into its torso before inserting a new round._

 _Looking around, she saw another one lunging at a military officer as he dispatched his own opponent with a cutlass, leaving his back turned to the charging Grimm behind him. Yang readied her machine arm and released a blistering hail of dust rockets from the multi barrel grenade launcher installed over her arm. The rounds exploded and utterly decimated the Grimm. Turning around, the officer nodded his thanks before she continued her advance._

 _Charging up a hill, she beheaded an Ursa in a single swing of her metallic arm and killed three more with multiple rounds from her automatic dust launchers, or "Ember Celica Mk. 2", as she considered it. A Griffon descended from the sky, but a storm of rifle fire intercepted it before it could land near her-it seemed a local garrison of soldiers still stood. Meeting up with them would be her priority._

 _She rounded the hilltop and came face to face with a Grand King Tajitu, a serpentine beast armoured in thick skeletal hide, similar to a Deathstalker. This foe was one to be concerned about. Yet before she could strike, the beast lunged in. Yang raised an arm to parry, aware how futile the gesture was, yet…nothing happened…_

 _She looked past her arms to see a man standing there, a blonde haired man, as regal as the kings of old, his flowing robes a radiant orange on brown underlay. In his hands he held a massive Odachi, which he had effortlessly decapitated the Grand King Tajitu with._

" _Well, morning there, m'lady" He said as he bowed…_

One pair of eyes opened slowly, disturbed by some outside force. A sound…coming from the next room. Sitting up in their bed, a hand shot out to their bedside table to the sword sheathed there, before they remembered this was a peaceful place.

"Force of habit" they muttered, lying back down and wrapping their arm around the person next to them. The sound persisted.

"Oh for…whatever is making that noise better stop" The person hissed as they got out of their shared bed and donned a sleeping robe. Opening the door from their bedroom and entering the next room, they realised the sound was someone knocking on their door.

"At 6:00 in the bloody morning? What could possibly be so important?" They hissed as they went over to the door and opened it a notch.

"Yes?" They asked to the student who stood there with trepidation.

"Um…I, uh…you see…that…ah…ahem…what I meant to say is that…uh" They rambled on, waving a note in front of them. Taking the note from the student, the rudely awakened person read it quickly, noticing the signature left by Jaune.

"Right. It's for Yang. He does realise she is always asleep before 8:00, right?"

The student nodded nervously.

"Y-yes, professor Long". They replied. The professor snorted.

"It's not school hours, no need to call me 'professor'. Xun works fine." He stated, walking back into his room with the letter in hand. He motioned to a seat on the couch.

"You can wait there while I go wake Yang. My wife does not take kindly to this, you know" Xun stated. "What's your name, boy?"

"Uh…Topaz Reynolds?" He said nervously.

Xun snorted. "Are you asking me for confirmation or are you wandering if I was going to interrogate you? C'mon, I just wanted to know your name, mate" He laughed softly as he opened the door to his bedroom. Through the open door Topaz caught a glimpse of the naked form of Professor Xiao Long lying on her bed, fast asleep. Diverting his eyes before he saw something he wasn't meant to see (even though he already had), he quickly turned his gaze to the blank TV screen. Thankfully, Xun had his back to him and didn't notice his (entirely accidental) peak. I mean, sure, she was a fraction more than twice his age, but…c'mon, Professor Xiao Long, or Yang, as she is to her friends, the blonde beauty, regarded officially by the school populace as one of the best teachers and regarded unofficially by the male body as one of, if not the hottest, teachers, hell, woman, they have ever seen. He couldn't miss such a literal window of opportunity.

Back with Xun, he gently knelt over Yang and shook her to waking.

"Ugh…" The prone form of Yang muttered, her blonde hair covering her bare back as she threw the sheets back.

"Uh…sweetie?" Xun whispered. Yang did not respond. Still asleep then. Xun looked over to Topaz, who glanced away suddenly.

"If you're looking at this, I would really like you to stop, mate" Xun snapped, not at all happy that someone was taking this opportunity to sneak a look at his wife's naked form. Xun decided to try a little more force in shaking her.

"Yang. C'mon, wake up" He gently urged her as she slowly woke, her lilac eyes flickering upon and looking around as she fixed on his face.

"Xun?" She muttered in a daze. "I was just dreaming about when we met" She cooed softly. Xun smiled and hugged eye tightly, remembering the encounter well. It was when he met the love of his life, after all.

"What time is it?" She said suddenly. Xun pulled back and went over to close the door before she could see Topaz outside and immediately go ballistic.

"Uh…sometime around 6:00? I don't really know, myself, but someone gave me this note to hand to you. From Jaune. Apparently he wants an answer as soon as possible" He informed her, handing Yang the letter, watching her rub the sleep from her eyes as she cast her (Beautiful) eyes over the writing.

Yang groaned. "If I knew where Ruby was going to be, don't you think I would have told him?" she asked Xun, to which he shrugged.

"Well, you are her sister. Stands to reason you might know something we don't." Xun stated bluntly, 'we' referring to 'everyone but you and Ruby'.

Yang smiled and shook her head. "Sorry, but the best I can figure is from what she told me a while ago. I think she is in Atlas. Going to see Wiess and Neptune. I think little Cyan is starting combat school this year, so of course Ruby can't miss seeing her oldest friend's firstborns first day of combat school. Heh. Who would have thought it, huh? Cyan Vasilias-Schnee, the warrior?"

Xun nodded, whilst smiling. "Well, actually, considering her parents, I think it is very likely." He joked, to which Yang scowled.

"It was a figure of speech, Xun. It's too early for sensible conversation" She wrote a reply to the letter below Jaune's message and sighed in protest as she flopped back down on the bed and pulled the covers up to her midriff. Remembering he would have to open the door again, Xun gently grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to cover her.

"Well, you can sleep now for a few more hours, Yang" Xun said, kissing her on the forehead. Yang snorted in protest at this statement but soon regained her peaceful composure and returned to sleep. Xun quietly stepped back and marvelled at her beauty, and his luck, before he took the letter, which had Yang's response written down, and opened the door a crack, slipping through the gap.

He looked around and saw Topaz standing near the door on the other side of the room, as far away from the door to the bedroom as he could get. Clearly he didn't want to have that temptation again. Xun snorted in his head. He could imagine what it would be like to see into Yang's bedroom where she lay naked as a boy, at the age of 17, no less. He then remembered that he hadn't been much older when he first saw the same thing…albiet different circumstances, plus they were already together at that point, but still. He figured Topaz would tell his friends all of this, possibly with a few added details, unless he was the honourable sort and could keep his word.

"So, give this to Jaune" Xun instructed, handing him the letter. "And tell him that if he does this again I'm going to ignore it. It's too early to receive shit like this, mate, I am sure you agree. Although, I must ask, why'd you get picked to come here in the first place?"

Topaz smiled faintly. "I was only up because I was getting ready for my brother to arrive. Mauve Reynolds. He is getting here later today. I figured I should get a nice start to prepare everything." Xun smiled. This kid wasn't half bad, if he got up three hours earlier than required to make sure he was ready for his brother's arrival. That was dedication. But still, he had to make sure of one thing.

"Oh, and Topaz, before you leave…remember this…don't tell anyone about anything you saw in this room. Especially anything about Yang. I understand, she is hot-" He added, with a smile and a wink-"but she is my wife, and also a very kind, caring, and wonderful person. I would see her treated with respect. So don't mention any of this to anyone. I am being serious here mate. Not. A. Word." Xun said sternly, pointing a finger at Topaz, who swallowed nervously.

"Don't worry proffes-Xun. I won't tell a soul. You have my word." He said, taking the older gentleman's hand when it was offered and shaking it.

"Your' not half bad kid. Maybe you'll be in one of my classes this year, huh?" Xun said, smiling, as Topaz let go and departed with a goodbye and a "Hope so, professor!".

Xun smiled as he closed the door to the hallway and returned to the bedroom, discarding the robe and getting under the blanket with his wife, and lover, Yang, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her closer, burying his head in her golden mane before he himself drifted back to sleep…for as long as he could before the day begun in earnest, that is.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Mauve:

 _My whole life, I grew up hearing about these great heroes. I vowed one day to be just like them, the paragons of virtue. I shall defend the world as they once did._

Mauve Reynolds stepped off the airship and looked up at the place he shall call home for the next four years. Beacon. Rebuilt after the war on a new scale of grandeur, the impressive structures that comprised the fabled academy made him feel so small and insignificant, as, he believed, would the ranks of living legends that taught here.

Topaz had been quick to reassure him that all the teachers were great, and not at all intimidating, but he had known them for two years longer. He wandered how his brother felt when he first came here, and, if he felt this same sense of apprehension, how long it took to dissipate.

Breathing in deeply and clutching his sword, Mauve began to walk towards the main hall along with the rest of the crowd. He noticed several people from his classes back at Signal, and a horde of others he did not. His brother had told him about the layout of Beacon, but being here was a different matter. It all felt so…big.

Naturally, the crowd filed in to the hall in a slow trickle, eagerly awaiting the presence of one of the famed teachers. Most had only seen pictures or film of them, never in person. This was to be a significant moment for the majority of the crowd, who chattered nervously away. Mauve saw Umbra, a dark haired girl clads in black, and a friend from Signal, was standing around holding her arm. Striding over to her, Mauve put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Relax, Umbra. We have nothing to worry about" He reassured. Umbra smiled gently at his presence.

"Except for the teachers who some call gods. Aside from the best fighters of our age being in the same room as us. Aside from not knowing anyone beside you. Yeah. Nothing to worry about" She said dryly. Mauve sniggered.

"It can't be that bad now, can it?" He laughed. Umbra sniggered under her breath.

"With you, anything can go wrong" She joked, and Mauve huffed in annoyance.

"If your referring to that one time in Signal where I- "he begun, but was cut off as a hush settled on the crowd. The crowd stilled and looked at the stage. An entire room held its breath. The lights dimmed and a spotlight flicked on, focusing on centre stage.

Running one hand through his messy purple hair, Mauve adjusted his half cape with the other. Umbra held her hands together at her belt as she awaited the arrival of one of the legendary teachers. The entire room reacted similarly as the suspense drew on.

Suddenly, from the side of the stage, a figure walked out from the darkness. Dressed in a stylish outfit, a pair of fashionable sunglasses, and an old beret, the teacher that walked into the light was recognised as none other than Coco Adel.

The crowd burst out into cheers upon seeing the famous warrior Coco, from the battle of Razorstone valley, stride with the confidence of a general addressing their troops to the mic. Removing her classes to scan the crowd, they noticed the three long scars running down her face. Some murmuring broke out upon seeing this but soon died down when she moved to speak.

"Good morning, ladies and gentleman. For those who feel a formal introduction is needed, I am Coco Adel- "The crowd roared in appreciation but then died down the moment she raised her hand for silence- "and I am the one responsible for overseeing this portion of your initiation. As the deputy headmistress of Beacon, I give you a very warm welcome to this most prestigious of schools. And now, for someone who needs even less of an introduction than me…JAUNE ARC!" She cheered, waving the headmaster onto the stage.

If the crowd reacted well for Coco, they want insane for Jaune. His white cape waving behind him as he walked upon the stage, his regal attire made him look all the part of the leader and hero he was. By his side was his iconic blade, and the crowd fixated upon it. Jaune nodded at Coco and took her place at the mic.

"Well…hello everyone" He laughed, waving at the cheers and students jumping up and down to get a better look. The crowd yelled their approval and admiration, and Jaune nodded in response until they died down.

"So…uh…well, I don't really think I can make a speech as good as the one you think I would have, so let's just keep this plain and simple. I am Jaune Arc, the headmaster, and this is Beacon. You are here to become a hunter, a warrior, a hero. Your hopes to live up to the standard of the past warriors is admirable, but let me tell you this: The path of a warrior is harsh, the path of a hunter brutal, and the legacy of a hero painful. There is no glorious destiny for you to aspire to. The losses that I have experienced, the pain that I have felt, it is what I remember more than the good I did. If you have come here to fulfil a romantic fairy-tale, you have come to the wrong place. You have come here to become a hunter. In time, you shall learn just what that means"

The crowd was silent. This was a different tone to what they had expected. No words of approval, no words of hope, or comfort. For some, it seemed that they had just been forced into a battle. Others nodded, more familiar with the truth of this life. Some just ignored it completely, content in their arrogance that they could fulfil the life they believed to have chosen.

Mauve and Umbra looked at each other.

"Well, that was…dark" She said softly. Mauve nodded without saying a word. As Jaune stepped back, Coco took his place at the mic once more.

"To prepare for initiation, you shall gather in the dining hall. You will face the challenge later this day. Be ready, and remember, remain vigilant!" She said, to which Jaune, and one of the other professors overseeing the crowd, chuckled. Clearly an inside joke, then, much to the student's confusion. Slowly being corralled out of the room by some guides, the students left lingering near the back looked over to the stage, where Jaune and Coco stood, immersed in conversation. A fourth professor, one with a massive Odachi on his back, strode onto the stage in a brisk jog and whispered something to Coco, who smiled.

Mauve watched the exchange as long as he could before Umbra grabbed his sleeve.

"C'mon Mauve, get moving!" She hissed. Mauve snapped out of his stupor and looked back at her.

"Hmm. Oh, uh sure. Yes, let's move" He replied, casting one last look over to the stage. Jaune was looking at the crowd of students as they departed, and, when scanning the crowd, caught Mauves eye. Nodding in his direction, Jaune then turned to walk off stage with Coco and the other professor.

"Did you see that? Did you? Did you?" Mauve said excitedly, clutching at Umbra's jacket as she walked. Turning to face him with a sceptical look on her face, he elaborated.

"Jaune! He nodded at me!" Mauve basically squealed. Umbra rolled her eyes, familiar with the immense regard in which he held them. She would say it bordered on obsession, but then again, everyone had their favourite hero or heroine. She herself couldn't wait to meet Blake, or even see her in person. She hoped she would visit the school someday…

Turning her mind back to the present, Umbra looked over at Mauve, who was excitedly jumping up and down on the spot. He really could get so excited about so little sometimes…

"C'mon, let's go get ready for initiation" She said, taking him by the arm and dragging him away.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Initiation:

" _It wasn't your fault. Remember that, Coco, it wasn't your fault"_

" _If I was faster I could have- "_

" _Coco. It wasn't your fault"_

" _How can you say that? Your dying, because I was to slow!" Tears ran down my cheek as I gripped her shirt. Blood stained my hands, but if it was mine or hers I could not say._

" _I'm afraid it was me. I was to slow. Didn't see it coming. You avenged me though. I'm proud of you, Coco. Ever since I met you, I knew you could do this. Knew you could lead us to a victory…just didn't think I would miss it"_

" _No…no…you are not…YOU'RE NOT DYING ON ME!" Tears burst forth freely now. I clutched harder and puller her to my chest._

" _Sorry to disobey you, Coco. But it seems I already have. I'll miss you." Came the soft whisper as a pair of rabbit ears drooped down low onto my head. I wept openly now, crying her name into her dead shoulders._

" _VELVET!"_

Coco stood at the edge of the cliff as Jaune delivered his speech on the manner of their initiation. Most seem baffled by how easy it was. They were to retrieve a relic and bring it back to the cliff they currently stood upon.

Surely it was harder than that, right?

Apparently, the means by which they would begin the initiation was still unknown to them. Coco sighed inwardly. She knew Jaune liked to think up something fresh and exciting each year, but the fact he hadn't told her yet made her somewhat alarmed. It could be anything, for all she knew.

"Now, the true nature of this initiation has not been disclosed. Until now" Jaune said, and the confidence of the students seemed to quaver a miniscule amount. Coco tried to supress a grin. Here we go.

"You will not be aware of your surroundings when you begin, as you will be blindfolded…" The student's confidence shook like a tree in a storm, but still Jaune continued. "You will also be deployed by air"

The confidence of the students now resembled a tree uprooted by a hurricane.

"What!?" Came the collective cry of some 40 hopeful students. Coco turned away from them as she failed to hold in a smile. Jaune still remained straight faced, as Ozpin always seemed to do. It was slightly scary, how he managed to replicate that almost identical straight face.

"And by deployed by air, I mean pushed from the open door one by one after we remove your blindfolds" Jaune finished. The confidence of the students was now a tree that had been uprooted in a hurricane and had the unfortunate luck to end up in a fire.

"Good luck" Coco added, as the Bullheads landed, and the pilots randomly read names of a list of those who were to get on. Keep things exciting, Jaune always said. Keep things crazy, Coco always amended. This year was going to be both, it seemed. She noticed a particular pair of students, one male and one female, the guy dressed in a purple half cloak that extended from his left shoulder down to his knee, with messy purple hair and a sword at his side, the girl in black leggings, shirt and jacket, with only some grey trim and highlights to define them all. A crossbow was fastened to her back, and a black bow on her head.

Coco smiled at pointed them out to Jaune.

"See those two?" Jaune nodded.

"The guy is Mauve Reynolds, Topaz's younger brother." She said smiling. Jaune nodded sagely.

"And the girl?" He asked.

"I believe she is Umbra Havens. Daughter of Dusk Havens, that soft spoken man we met during the Vale Campaign? He did say he had a daughter back at home…guess that is her, all grown up."

Jaune smiled. He remembered the man known as Dusk Havens very well, a silent, intelligent, gentlemen who always looked out for the wellbeing of his team and squad. He was only twenty when he became a father, during the third year of the war. His wife had given birth to her but then was forced to resume the fight when Dusk Haven returned injured to his family. They needed almost every one they could get during that point, and having a family didn't hold back a lot of people from joining the war to aid them where they could. Jaune and Coco had fought alongside her mother, Argentum, for eight months before she eventually fell in battle. A foolish mistake on her part had led to her death, but she saved a life in the process. Coco could remember the way her body got thrown about after the Beowulf had finished with her…

"Coco?" Jaune questioned.

"Sorry, I was just remembering her mother. Such a sad fate to befall her" She replied honestly. Coco looked at Umbra and smiled. She looked so much like her mother. Except without all the silver trims on everything.

"I recall that moment. You still have the marks from it." Jaune stated, as Coco traced the scars over her eyes. She never did thank Argentum. The Beowulf denied her that chance when it swiped her rescuers body away as she shot at it with her bow. Coco wasn't haunted by that sight as much as others…that was just one of her many regrets about the war. That she couldn't say a proper goodbye to everyone.

At least she could hold Velvet in her final moments as a solace, though.

Coco shook her head as she tried in vain to clear her mind.

"Ready to begin, Jaune?" She said, opening a scroll with links to monitor all the students as the bullheads departed. Jaune smiled and cracked his knuckles as he stretched his hands out in front of him.

"Absolutely"


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Rough landings:

 _Give me a good fight during this test. I want to show them what I can do. This is the moment I have been waiting for. For the heroes to see me in action._

Mauve Reynolds felt the blindfold get taken off his eyes, restoring his sight. He could see trees passing below him as the Bullhead leaned toward one side. The instructor behind him told him to take a deep breath as he tensed. He looked behind him and saw that he was the first of the four people on his aircraft to be selected. He sighed. Just his luck.

"Relax, I'm only pushing you from a flying aircraft!" Said the man as he jokingly placed a hand on Mauve's shoulders.

"Yeah. Only that" Mauves half cape flapped around in the wind. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade.

"Do you want me to count to three or do you want it to be a surprise?" The instructor queried. Mauve shrugged.

"Surprise me" He smiled grimly. The man behind him laughed, taking his hand of his shoulders.

"Ah, well then. Perhaps we should leave it a minute. Let you calm down" The man moved back three steps, turning around, before snapping back and pushing Mauve out as he relaxed his muscles and posture.

"Surprise!" The man yelled as Mauve fell to the ground. Cursing the man on his way down, Mauve clicked into action mode as channelled his willpower into activating his semblance. Below him, a white shield came into existence, a solid barrier of energy wider than his entire body lied lengthways, which began to slow his fall down to a calm drop, its ethereal form reversing his momentum by the slightest amounts required to avoid a painful impact. Hitting the ground with a thud, Mauve landed in a crouch, dismissed the shield and looked up. No Grimm, so that was a plus. He had also landed flawlessly, no broken bones nor crushed wildlife below him. So far so good, it seemed.  
Standing up from his crouch, he took one step forward, and then another. Nothing exploded around him, no Grimm came flying out of the trees to confront him, there were no hidden traps…the big list of things that he imagined could go wrong got considerably shorter with each passing step.

Well, maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as he had feared it could be.

Mauve decided to a direction and travel in that way for as long as he deemed fit, or until he found another person. Whichever came first. Starting off in a brisk jog, he quickly traversed the terrain, jumping over tree and root, rock and stream, around holes and over boulders, maintain a mostly consistent direction as he ventured in what he thought was the right way. He had been travelling for some 30 minutes when he heard a snap of a twig behind him.

Stopping in his tracks and whirling around, he could see no person standing there, but he could hear the sounds of something moving in a circular direction around him, to his sides. Given that a person would have most likely revealed themselves if they had seen him, or would have continued moving in a straight line if they had not, that left only two alternatives. One was harmless wildlife, the other was…Grimm.

Drawing his blade, Mauve picked up a nearby rock in his free hand and threw it into the bushes. The rustling intensified as a charging Beowulf came running out.

"Showtime" Mauve declared, and readied his blade. Striking swiftly with a precise forward sweep, the beast staggered back, but did not die. Mauve had not killed it on impact. Disappointing, to say the least. Mauve stepped forward and struck again, this time severing an arm, before he pirouetted and cut off its head in one, clean, surgical stroke.

"That's more like it" He announced, but his jubilation was cut short when several more came out of the bushes toward him. Mauve snapped back to ready stance and steeled himself for the coming fight. The first foe came in recklessly, its first attacked betrayed by the telegraphed nature of its swing. Mauve ducked low and brought his sword up and under its guard and into its skull via its neck. Withdrawing the blade, he sidestepped the next one and stabbed it through its spine on its way passed him, spinning the blade around to stab forward on the next one. He kicked forward and freed his blade in time to parry a strike from another assailant, but he had countered before the beast could respond with a second blow, his sword striking the beast at its knees, cutting them off. He raised his arming blade high and then brought it down on the beast's neck, an instant fatality. Mauve nodded and smiled at his handiwork.

"Impressive." A voice announced from the trees above him. Mauve looked up to see Umbra sitting there, her crossbow/rifle hybrid in hand.

"Did you just watch that whole thing?" He asked, annoyed. "And you didn't help?"

Umbra smiled and shook her head.

"Sure I did. I killed that Grimm which snuck up behind you" She shot back.

"What Grimm? I was paying attention to my surroundings the whole time!" He protested. Umbra merely smirked and raised her crossbow rifle, the barrel beneath the bow unwavering as she fired a shot off behind him. Mauve jumped as the round went past his ear by mere millimetres.

"Gah! Watch it!" He shouted, and then turned around to see where it had. A Beowulf with a bullet hold clean through the centre of its forehead lay behind him.

"You weren't paying attention then" Umbra called out as Mauve silently breathed out. That was close. He turned around and looked back up at Umber.

"So, are we team mates now, or what?" He asked, to which she smiled.

"Guess we are now".

Mauve nodded in satisfaction. Now he had a reliable, trustworthy teammate, he had nothing to worry about. Him and Umbra went _way_ back.

"So, know where were going?" She asked, climbing down from the tree.

"Uh…not really…" Mauve said. He was hoping she did…


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Class time:  
 _"Are you alright?"_

" _Sure I am, milady. Just this slight bullet hole through my abdomen from an earlier tussle. Besides that, I'm all good…"_

 _The stranger collapsed to the ground, blood dripping from their sides. Rushing over to them, I roll him over to see his wound. It wasn't to severe, but he was exhausting himself. I looked around for help and saw someone jogging up the hill. The cutlass wielding officer from earlier had caught back up with me. I saw him look at the body of the slain Grimm and then to the guy in my arms._

" _Woah…crap…"_

" _Don't just stand there and look! Help me!" I shout angrily as he stood there, dumbfounded. Shaking his head, he rushes over and pulls a medical bag of his back, quickly getting some bandaging and wrapping it around his torso._

" _Are you fine?" The officer asks without even looking up from his patient. I nod and reply._

" _Yeah. No wounds. No Grimm is going to kill me that easily."_

 _The officer laughs and extends his hands as he finished applying the dressing for my saviours wound._

" _Alexandrite Reynolds" He announces._

 _I smile and take his hand. "Yang Xiao Long"_

 _The wounded man's eyes flutter open._

" _I'm Xun Long, if anyone cares" He says weakly, raising his arm to get our attention. I smile at his antics and pick him up easily in my arms. Time for me to rescue my rescuer._

" _Come on Alex, we have to get this man to a safe zone!" I say. I know just the place._

Yang walked in to her class, her first class of the year in fact, a set of second years eager to learn from the prestigious Professor Xiao Long. Most were, actually. Some were eager just to see her. And she didn't mean this in the "Living Legend" way, she meant this in the "I'm hot and they want to see me in person" way.

As she opened the door to the room, running just a bit late, she felt the collective intake of breath of the assembled students. Now, sure they were 18 and all, technically legal, she would really wish not having to explain to any of them that first, she was married (to someone who was, in her eyes, perfect) and that she was also twice their age, and, lastly, teachers are forbidden from dating students. Even though it seems to be entirely the teachers instrumenting that rule. Yang had a feeling the moment that rule was to be uplifted Jaune's office would be besieged by hordes of girls…

As would hers, actually…

Yang walked confidently over to her desk, not even looking at her class before she sat down. Wearing her, now signature, yellow and brown gambeson with her trademark low cropped brown top and yellow undershirt, Yang placed both her arms on her desk, including her cybernetic extension on her right, and addressed the class.

"Well, aren't you all a bright set of second years, getting in my class like this" Yang joked. The room burst out in laughter, some of which Yang sensed was only because of her title and reputation.

"Silence!" Yang barked. The room shut up faster than a child being scolded by their mother. Yang stood up and leant forward over her desk, giving some of the people in the first row a rather pleasing image…which she was quick to dispel with a frown in their direction.

"Now, I don't know what you think this will be like, but it will most certainly not be an easy ride. You have come here to learn to fight, not to learn about me, or my past. There are, unfortunately, plenty of books in the library on the subject for those who are interested about me. Or, if you really want to, ask my _husband_ outside of class if you see him. It is not a topic I wish to discuss with those people who weren't there, or who are not people I hold in high esteem. As you are students who are new to me, I do _not_ hold you in high esteem, not yet. You'll have to earn your respect in this class. I run this shit very, very, seriously, so, if you are here with an intent other than to learn about the subject on the door, then you can get up and go to that door and leave by that door. I do not expect half measures nor fools in my class, I expect only success, or 100% effort in attempts to succeed. You won't get anywhere by pandering to me, trust me, the only people who pander to me and gets away with it are Ruby, Xun, and Blake. I would say Weiss, but she never panders her way up to anyone. So, since neither of those three people are any of you, as much as you may want, I suggest you do this-listen to what I have to say, do what I tell you to do, and practise what I tell you to practise. Now, are there any questions?"

The class sat silently for a minute or so. Clearly they were not expecting Yang to be so…well…harsh. The stories said she was fun loving, not an imposing, stern, disciplined teacher. However, some people got over their shock faster than others and raised their hand.

"Yes, you at the back" Yang said, pointing to the boy at the rear of the class who raised his hand with trepidation.

"Uh…so….do we get to fight _you_ at any point?" The guy asked sincerely. Yang snickered, a flicker of her playful personality breaking through.

"Do you want to fight me?" She asked, laughing. "I know you lot are eager for a fight, and to prove yourself, but c'mon, you can't be that eager to have your limbs broken, can you?"

The boy shook his head, then spoke again.

"I mean; do we have to fight you in a test at some point?" He clarified.

Yang smirked at the class. "Well, that would be spoiling some things wouldn't it?"

A murmur set about the class at these words. Surely not? Yet their pondering was suddenly interrupted when she spoke up.

"Oh, come on, take a joke every now and then. No need to be so concerned. I have much greater priorities than beating all you lot up, don't I? I have to teach you!"

Yang stepped aside from her desk and motioned to the class, her expansive arm gesture encompassing the whole room.

"Alright, let's see your styles then. Two volunteers, up now!" She called out, waiting for someone to be brave to put themselves forward. The entire class raised their hand, eager to go first. Yang smirked. Oh, the fun she could have here.

 **Notes on characters: OC's and Parentage:**

 **Yang Xiao Long is married to Xun Long. (Pronounced something like "Si-un/Zin Long" based on my limited knowledge of Chinese. Literally translates to "Dragon Tamer". Hence why both Yang and Xun have "Long" in their name's-Yang is named after a dragon as well) They got together romantically in the first year of the war, or when they were 18 (Probably in what would equate to Volume 5 if we need a comparison as to where this is in 'future canon' for this story). They married seven years later at 24, in the aftermath of the war. Yang became a teacher shortly after, around 25, making her one of the youngest professional teachers in the world. Even at the age of 37, many people still consider 12 years a "recent appointment" in terms of a professor title. Yang and Xun decided to avoid having children, mainly because the two of them don't consider themselves to be "Parent" material, even now. Some say they will change their minds sometime in the near future, but those who know them do not pay this gossip any heed…aside from Nora, of course…**

 **Alexandrite Reynolds was about 22 when this battle took place; he was already the father of Topaz before the war begun in earnest. He had Mauve 2 years later. He then died in battle a year past that at 25. His sabre went to Topaz.**

 **He was a good friend of Yang and Xun, but since he could never tell his sons about this before he was slain, nor did his wife really know, only Yang and Xun can recount the exploits of Alex.**

 **Dusk Haven is Umbra's father. Dusk is friends with Jaune and Coco, but rarely speaks about them to his daughter. He does not want her to know the true nature of her mother's death, fearing it may spoil her image of either her or Coco, or tarnish the light in which she perceives both of them as heroes.**

 **Argentum was Umbra's mother and was a good friend of Coco and Blake, hence why Umbra wears a bow and wants to meet Blake so much; her father has told her of how well Blake and her got along, and has recounted the tales of Blake's heroics the most out of any of the living legends.**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Relics:

 _Why won't you tell me of her, father?_

 _Is it me you see in my eyes, or is it hers?_

" _I could never tell you that, my sweet. A tale for a different person. I never wish to have those words escape my lips again. There is only one who could tell you that story. Seek her out at Beacon. If she sees fit to say, she'll say, but not before"_

Umbra pushed her way through the bushes, her crossbow at the ready. Mauve strode behind her, his blade unsheathed and on guard. They had been walking for nearly an hour and still no sign of these supposed relics, nor another student. Umbra was beginning to seriously doubt coming this way at all.

"So…uh…Umbra?" Mauve asked. Umbra nodded a "Hmm?" in response. Taking this as permission to continue, he then asked her why she wanted to go here.

"You know me. I couldn't let my skills go to waste now could I?" She said instantly, leaving out her own personal agenda. _To find out about her mother._

"There has to be more to it than that" Mauve stated simply. He knew her to well it seemed. Umbra smiled slightly at that, and was about to respond, when a pair of students came crashing out from the undergrowth and straight into her.

"Bah! Watch it!" Umbra snapped as a heavily built guy clad in leather armour rolled off her. He had a giant two handed broad axe on his back, and pale brown hair. Rising up, he was somewhere around seven-foot tall, an imposing figure, no doubt about it. Next to him was a girl wearing what looked like cowboy attire-complete with a sheriff's hat, knee high boots with spurs, and even a poncho draped over her shoulders. Two revolvers were held by her waist.

"Sorry for that" The larger of the two apologies. Umbra held back a snigger. His partner only stood around five foot five, if that, a child in comparison to her bear like friend. Smiling in apology, Umbra held out her hand.

"Umbra Havens, and this is my friend, Mauve Reynolds" She said, introducing themselves to the two. The other girl stepped forward, smiling, taking her hand and shaking it heartily.

"Vermillion" She said, indicating her namesake coloured poncho and boots. She then gestured to her friend.

"And this here is Ecru"

Ecru bowed with a grace defying his size, maintaining excellent balance as he gave a trademark bow of royalty.

Mauve stepped forward, recognising the name.

"Ecru, as in Ecru, son of Gaia and Typhoon?" He asked. Ecru nodded in response. Mauve smiled and shook his hand vigorously. Umbra sighed inwardly. She knew where this was going.

"Your parents fought alongside the living legends, did they not, at the battle of Atlas? They met the Maiden Nora?" Mauve asked excitedly. "Oh, have they told you what it was like, to meet her?"

Ecru nodded, smiling. "I've actually met her once before. My parents hosted her during one of her stays to Atlas. She refused to sleep in some fancy royal apartment or something, but wanted to stay with friends. I was about 8, no, maybe 9. She was very…excitable…"

Mauve gasped in envy, and went to ask more questions, but Umbra put her hand on his mouth.

"Perhaps we should focus on our objective instead?" She suggested, motioning to the trees around them all. Vermillion grinned.

"Have any idea where you're going?" She asked the two of them. Mauve shook his head while Umbra didn't reply.

"Do you actually have any clue at all what you're doing here than?" Ecru asked. "The relics are that way" He said, pointing in pretty much the complete opposite direction to what they were going,

"How do you know?" Mauve asked, to which Vermillion raised her hands.

"I have expert tracking capabilities. There is a converging trail of people leading in that direction. Also, I saw it briefly in the distance when I was falling from the ship" She said, without any hint of arrogance or hubris, just the cold stating of facts. Umbra liked someone who didn't let their capabilities get in the way of the job. She wandered if Ecru shared this trait.

"So…onwards?" Mauve asked, turning to that direction and pointing with his sword. Vermillion nodded and stepped forward, past Mauve and into the trees.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Ecru grumbled as he shouldered his way through the undergrowth after the two of them. Umbra cast a quick glance around the clearing before turning and following the three of them on their way to the relics.

They walked for about 20 minutes before they entered a massive clearing, with a stone temple in the middle. The trademark locale of every initiation for years past. Positioned on the stands where the relics in question, the aim of the game, and their current objective.

Mauve fist pumped the air and strode confidently forward, Umbra, Vermillion and Ecru close behind. They had not taken any more than five steps into the open field when a loud roar from across the tree line heralded the arrival of a pack of Grimm…Ursai to be specific.

Ecru immediately unslung his axe and stood in front of everyone, never taking his eyes off the Grimm. Umbra readied her crossbow and prepared to fire when Mauve shouted "Stop!"

He turned her around to see a pack of Beowolves entering the clearing from behind. Clearly this was an ambush then.

Vermillion drew her guns and cocked them, the twin revolvers pointing straight at the Grimm that were drawing closer. Mauve levelled his sword and waited for one of the packs to make the first move.

"What do we do?" Ecru asked, still staring at his foes with unwavering eyes and an unshaking stance. Vermillion looked to Mauve questioningly.

"Well?" She asked, but, as she turned, a Beowulf leapt forward and tackled her, catching her off guard. Umbra fired a round through its head, and it dropped instantly. At this moment, both packs leapt forward. Ecru waited for the first Ursa to get within range of his massive axe before he took three steps forward and swung with all his might, the beast getting flipped off its feet and onto its side. He spun and brought the axe up, over and down, decapitating it on the spot.

Mauve leapt up into the air as a beast swiped at him, pointing his sword downward in mid-air and landing it directly into the attacking Beowulf's skull. The beast collapsed, but two more came forth to take its place. Mauve went forward in a flurry of whirling strikes, his blade removing limb, torso and head from his attackers, his speed incredible. A stray Beowulf managed to land a blow on him, but the beast was thrown back by a blinding flash of light at the point of contact, the after image of a shield temporarily visible as Mauve elbowed the beast in the jaw before spinning his arm and wrist to remove its throat.

Vermillion, having freed herself from her attacker, raised her pistols and then opened fire with supernatural speed. Both arms moved so fast in every direction that multiple after images of her arms were left behind as she emptied each 12 round revolver in the span of a second, 24 shots fired, each one finding its mark. 24 Grimm dropped dead as she reloaded.

Ecru was still fighting the pack of Ursai, his axe wreaking havoc on them, his sheer physical power allowing him to dispatch them almost effortlessly, yet Umbra could see his style lacked finesse, yet his brute style of swinging in mad arcs seemed to be working. After all, it doesn't really matter how good you are when there is a madman flailing around a massive axe without fear of a counter attack.

Umbra raised her crossbow rifle, or her crossrifle as she called it, and emptied a round into a charging Ursa's head and neck. She then saw another Grimm enter the fray…

A Deathstalker.

Reaching to her quiver on her back, she slots a bolt onto her crossbow and took aim, the heavy tip covered in fine dust. Raising the bow upwards, she fired into the sky and watched as the bolt arced up and over the crowd of foes and into the Deathstalker's head. Umbra then pulled pressed a button behind the draw string on the bow and watched the arrow suddenly detonate inwards, tearing into the Grimm's skull.

Umbra took aim and then fired several rifle rounds into the exposed gap in armour, straight into the beast's brain. It staggered, but did not fall. Umbra frowned. This beast shouldn't be going still, and it had almost covered the distance between them and it in the intervening time. The fight raged around her as she readied another bolt, but Vermillion stepped in front of her and raised one of her guns.

Holding her breath, she steadied her arm and then fired off the rounds as fast as she could, the revolver firing like a machine pistol thanks to her super-fast musculature semblance. Twelve rounds were fired in the blink of an eye, the rounds hitting their target like a bullseye. The Deathstalker had lost all of its eyes, and most of its brain, from a dozen headshots. It took three more steps forward before collapsing on the ground.

Umbra lowered her crossrifle.

"Thanks" She said simply. Vermillion smiled and raised her other arm, shooting dead another batch of Beowolves.

"Not a problem. Not a problem at all" She laughed, although her breathing was coming out in ragged breaths. Her power must take a lot of energy out of her.

Mauve had finished the final Beowulf off with a flourishing coup de grace, his sword swirling in a full 180-degree arc before slicing its target evenly in half. He brought the very same sweep around into a fluid sheathing motion at his hilt, before he turned to face them all and survey the fight just as Ecru slew the last Ursa.

"Well…damn" He laughed, looking out at the field of dead and decaying Grimm, the Deathstalker with its face torn apart, the pack of ten or twelve Ursa torn to shreds, and the Beowulf horde sliced apart. The combined efforts of the team had slain almost forty Grimm with apparent ease, including one giant Grimm-the Deathstalker.

"If that's not impressive, I don't know what is" Umbra laughed, as Vermillion slowly hobbled over to the temple to get a relic. Ecru nodded with a monotonous expression on his face as he followed his partner. Umbra sighed, resting her crossrifle on her shoulder and looking at Mauve.

"Bundle of fun, that one is" She said softly, looking at Ecru behind his back. Mauve put a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax. We'll have a whole year to break him out of his shell. He seems to like me well enough."

Umbra snorted.

"Maybe because you pander to his ego?" She mocked. Mauve frowned indignantly.

"Hey, c'mon, I was just asking him a few questions!" He protested. Umbra smirked. Too easy. She knew him too well, it seemed.

"C'mon Mauve. Let's go get out relic" She teased, skipping past him and on to the temple. Mauve sighed under his breath.

"Yeah, you're totally a bundle o'laughs too. I'm surrounded by pranksters it seemed." He muttered sarcastically. "Go to Beacon, they said. It will be fun, they said. Totally devoid of a team full of conflicting personalities. One stoic marauder, a happy-go-lucky gunslinger, a determined marksman, and me. Yeah. Were the best combination ever. Oh, this will so much fun".

Little did Mauve know, but those words will soon ring true, and this team, however odd, will soon play a very important part in the future…

After all, weren't the greatest legends born from a team of conflicting personalities?


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Team Building:  
 _I run up the hill, deflecting an incoming Beowulf on the charge and striking it down with but one stroke of my sword._

 _I raise my blade high and supercharge it with my inner power, before slashing outward on the crest of the hill. A whole pack of Beowolves gets torn in half as a blast of ethereal energy issues forth from my blade._

 _A massive Grimm, a shapeless conglomerate of darkness, rises from a cave in the side of the hill. I point the tip of my blade towards it and release a focused lance of energy into its heart. The blinding white light instantly vaporises it, its shadow vanishing before my righteous wrath._

 _I see my goal in sights, a woman clads in red, spectral flame dancing around her as she summons more darkness to the fight. I see my allies fighting their way to her from all sides, surrounding her in a noose. I dash forth, moving so fast I become an ethereal blur of white light, darting left to right, Grimm vanishing before my advance as I arrive at my target._

" _CINDER FALL! IT ENDS…HERE AND NOW!" I yell out, and brace as the vengeful witch turns her gaze to me. I marshal my power and prepare for battle…_

The initiation was now complete.

Jaune Arc read the names of the list one by one, announcing team after team, before he got to a very special team, one that he had connections to in the long past.

"Mauve Reynolds, Umbra Haven, Vermillion Nan Niao, and Ecru Dasmos. The four of you retrieved the grey stone relics. Together, you shall form Team MUVE (Mauve, obviously) led by, Mauve Reynolds!" (Also Obviously).

The crowd clapped and cheered, the battle team MUVE had fought already spread throughout most of the student body. Topaz had even messaged Mauve on his scroll, congratulating his younger brother on his heroic exploits. Mauve felt a swell of pride in his chest. He was to a leader.

Looking over to his team mates, to be greeted by a one of Umbra's arms wrapped around his shoulders and a congratulatory smile. Vermillion gave him a wink and a playful smile, while Ecru nodded and bowed his head, smiling faintly. He had his own team, a team of, hopefully, soon to be close and trusted friends. As they made their way off the stage, Mauve caught side of one of the professors, Professor Long, looking at him carefully. Mauve suddenly felt he was under intense scrutiny, and diverted his eyes. Something about the way the professor looked at him seemed so…off. He had no interaction with the man as of yet, but his brother had told him that he was a very well respected man, and a great teacher, but he never mentioned anything else about him. Mauve would have to ask him sometime later to find out more about that odd experience.

Team MUVE walked out of one hall and into another, more specifically, the dining hall. It was high time they had a meal to celebrate their initiation into the prestigious Beacon, before receiving class time tables and so forth, and learning what subject's they'll have with whom.

Sitting down at a table, Team MUVE cast their gaze around the massive hall, and all the students within, a collective of some 1000 thousand students. Numbers had increased since the war, a whole new generation eager to take up the mantle of the legends and defend the world in this burgeoning new age of peace and prosperity, and, needless to say, it was an intimidating sight for first year students to see all these highly trained and experienced second, third and fourth year students all in one room. More alarming was the entire teacher procession sat at several tables throughout the hall, with select first year students daring to go up to them and talk to these legendary figures. However, the other students, all familiar with these people went up to them and talked with the ease of old friends. Mauve scanned the crowd for his brother, and team TIGR, yet nothing was to be seen of them. Mauve sighed. He would have to try again tomorrow.

As Mauve turned his gaze back to the table, he noticed that right behind Vermillion and Ecru on the other side of the table stood Professor Long and Professor Xiao-Long (Boy that must be confusing for some, he thought), deep in conversation with an older student. Mauve stared, slightly dumbfounded at seeing the two legends right next to each other.

Vermillion, seeing his slack jawed gaze, spun around and caught their eye just as the student they were talking to walked off. Looking down at her from her standing position, Professor Xiao-Long smiled.

"Heard about you and your team. Nice work with those Grimm. It's rare to encounter so many in one spot in the Emerald Forest these days, isn't it, Xun?" She said, nudging her husband in the ribs. The Professor took it good naturedly and grinned.

"Oh, just because me and Coco went hunting once in that forest its suddenly our fault the first years have nothing left to fight anymore, is it? It was three months ago!" He protested.

His wife smirked and nodded.

"You know you two can't contain yourselves" She mocked, leaning in to him and poking him in the face. Xun batted her hand away gently and shook his head.

"Anyhow, good job you lot. Especially you, Mr. Reynolds" Professor Xun said, nodding directly at Mauve. Mauve blushed, embarrassed by the compliment but accepting it nonetheless, until his humble nature led him to ask something.

"Err…thanks…but…why?" He said slowly and softly, yet, before he could get an answer, Professor Xiao-Long interrupted her husband.

"Wait, wait, wait. Reynolds? As in… _Alex Reynolds?"_ She said suddenly, ignoring the confused looks on the faces of Team MUVE. Xun nodded.

"Apparently the very same. I met Mauves older brother earlier today; he was the one who gave that letter for you. I got his name, but didn't make the connection until much later. Should've been obvious, right? Named after a jewel, had a cutlass on his hip, even looked similar. Well, didn't have the scar obviously, but still"

At this point Mauve stood up. He had caught on to what they were talking about. Or, more accurately, who. _His father._

"You knew my father?" He said in wonderment. He felt slightly betrayed. How could not know this? Why did no one tell him? Did his mother even know? 

The two professors looked at each other before to him. A glance passed between, the type of glance that married couples have which communicate very precisely something of great import, but is unknowable to the outside observer.

"We did." Prof. Xiao-Long replied slowly. "He was…a great friend of ours. We knew him for a few years…in fact…we all met at pretty much the exact same time, only separated by a few minutes. Heh. Boy, he was funny. I remember that after the early battles we managed to spend a lot of campaigns together. He may not have been a hunter, but he made up for it in sheer tenacity. And he died a hero."

Mauve stood there in silence. This was…this was…this was immense…his father…they…his father, who died when he wasn't even a year old, knew and fought beside the living legends, and no-one, save them, knew! How could his mother not know! How could his brother not know!

"I am sorry, Mauve, if this comes as a shock to you, but…well…your father told us a great deal many things, his reasons and motivations, things he told your mother, but which she may never had revealed. It is not for us to say these things. Ask them of your mother." Xun told him, soft compassion in his eyes.

Mauve was going to ask for more, when Yang suddenly frowned and turned to Xun.

"Wait…this morning, was Topaz in the living room? I thought I heard the door open briefly…"

Xun suddenly grew tense, and his expression became dead serious.

"Uh…he may have been" He knew where this was going. Team MUVE stared at the exchange. This was…odd, to say the least.

"And you had the door to our bedroom open, didn't you? Well, to even wake me up properly you would've had to have opened the door, right?"

"Yes" Xun said meekly.

"While I was in my…sleeping attire?"

"…Yes" Came the reply. Team MUVE tried to supress grins. It seems the world famous Yang Xiao-Long was about to tear into her husband over something that transpired earlier today.

"Did he see?" She practically growled. Xun swallowed.

"I uh…I can't really say. I was standing between him and you…so…most likely not…"

Mauve frowned. What was his brother involved in here?  
"Most likely not?" Most. Likely?" Yang said slowly. Xun started to walk away, but was stopped by Yang holding onto his arm.

"You know how I feel about such things. I value my privacy very greatly."

"As do I" Xun said simply, pointing his head in the direction of Team MUVE, reminding her that she couldn't get into a heated debate with him in front of some freshly initiated first year students about matters of bedroom privacy.

Yang slowly turned to the team, her anger subsiding.

"Excuse us, please." She said sweetly, before grabbing Xun by the arm and all but dragging him over to the teacher's area. Resigning himself to his fate, he attempted to give a thumbs up to the team by way of goodbye.

"Well…that was weird…" Umbra summed up. Vermillion nodded, thinking some very indecent thoughts about what could have transpired in the room earlier today. Ecru merely shook his head. He knew better than to get involved in the affairs of teachers, and, more importantly, living legends.

Mauve, meanwhile, resolved to go find Topaz and ask him what exactly _had_ happened earlier today.

 **NOTE ON CHARACTER NAMES: Vermillion Nan Niao-translates to "Vermillion bird of the south" in a literal Chinese translation, a figure from Chinese Taoist mythology, often mistaken for a phoenix. Ecru Dasmos is Ecru Duty, more a symbolic title than an actual inspired name. Its representative of his motivations and family history. It's also Greek, hence, Ecru is Mistrali, like Pyrrha and Team SSSN.**


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Red:

 _It has been 13 years since the war concluded. 13 years._

 _During that time, I have travelled the war torn world and helped humanity rebuild. I have explored beyond the limits of human exploration and traversed the great wilds of the world._

 _I have seen things you would not believe, been to places others could only dream of. I have fought the darkness wherever it still resides, in whatever bastions of abysmal shadow they reside. I have fought our foe across the world._

 _I know the threat that they represent is still ever present. I know it's unlikely we'll ever stop it. But it can never again be our undoing. That is my consolation. Because we need never fear it like we did before._

Jaune Arc sat in the teacher's lounge after the feast to celebrate the successful initiation earlier that day. No one had died, so that was a plus. Yet now they had some 200 new students to integrate, 200 potential troublemakers to contend with, and 200 more stories to learn. Jaune sighed, as he leant back in his spot, a mug of coffee in his hand. Coco had once joked he was becoming a little too similar to Ozpin, but Jaune said that perhaps she was only seeing the similarity. Jaune at least didn't seem to have his mug glued to his hands.

The room was filled with the teaching procession of Beacon, from headmaster to engineering, combat to tactic, history to dust instructions, they were all here in this room, a small party to celebrate the start of term.

Ren, his own mug of coffee in hand, sat down next to Jaune on the worn out couch, giving his old friend a smile.

"Contemplating your life?" He asked slowly, after a small pause.

Jaune shook his head. He was thinking over something much more…trivial.

"Nah. I was just thinking of all the new students. I want to get something really impressive for them to see, as a surprise. I mean, they've come here learn to be a hunter, so why not have the most famous of them all come here to speak to them?"

Ren nodded. He knew of course who Jaune meant. "The Most Famous Hunter in the World" was a title reserved for one person, and one alone.

"Ruby" He said simply.

Jaune nodded, leaning forward, holding his coffee mug in two hands as he turned his head to the monk like man beside him.

"Well, I mean, I could always just ask Yang to get her here. Ironic that Ruby still listens to her big sis'".

Ren smiled, but not as much as someone else did across the room. Yang jumped over the longue and in between Jaune and Ren, putting her arms around both their shoulders.

"Well of course she does! I'm fabulous!" She announced cheerfully, ignoring Ren's frown and Jaune's sigh. Yang snorted.

"Come one guys, you have to admit it. I am pretty damn cool!"

Ren smiled.

"I thought 'hot' was what you were always aiming for" he deadpanned. Jaune snickered behind Yang as she turned to the monk.

"Oh? What's this? Ren with the snark? My, how time has passed!" She smiled her trademark grin, the sort that signalled she was going to follow through with an awful pun.

"I wouldn't want to _Lie, Ren,_ 'hot' is what I always am. I don't need to aim for it" She quipped. Ren groaned and put his head in his hands while Jaune banged his head on the coffee table in defeat.

"Huh? Huh? Guys?" She said, grinning madly as she waved her arms in the air.

"BOOOO!" Came the reply of Coco from over at the teacher's bar. Yang frowned, flipping Coco off with both fingers. Jaune rolled his eyes at the whole exchange.

"You know, we are ever so mature, aren't we?" He deadpanned, reflecting on what the first years would think if they could see them now, then deciding it was probably better if he didn't. Ren breathed out from his nose as he closed his eyes and leant back.

"Imagine if Nora was here. Then it'd be even worse, wouldn't it?" He remarked, as Jaune shuddered, as he always did, when he thought back on all the parties involving Nora and alcohol. Yeah. They always went well…

"So, guys, joking aside, how about I call Ruby right now, see where she is?" Yang said, pulling out her scroll and searching through her contacts until she reached Ruby.

"Well?" Jaune said, as Yang looked over to him. "You really don't need my permission to call up your little sister, you know?" He said wryly. Yang rolled her eyes and pressed "CALL".

XXX

Atlas, 8:00 PM, Schnee family household.

Weiss Schnee, the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, mother of two, sat at the family dinner table as she, Neptune, Ruby and their youngest child listened to the twelve-year-old Cyan Schnee-Vasilias recount her first day of combat school.

Ruby, staying as a welcome quest in the (impressive) mansion of the Schnee household, was listening on eagerly. She always liked listening to the exploits of friends and family, and, as the unofficial "aunt" of this family, she wanted to hear all she could about Cyan's first day, particularly in regards to her weapon.

It was one of the very first things students did at Combat School, choose and forge their own weapon design. Cyan had run through a long list of things she wanted for her weapon beforehand, meeting with mixed approval from her parents, until she settled on a Walloon blade, a flat bladed sword used for thrusting similar to a Rapier, but also able to parry. Weiss approved of the idea almost immediately. The tradition of swords play was one of the Schnee's most well-known traits. Tradition didn't demand it, however, it was just sort of expected of someone to learn it if they were born a Schnee.

"So, meet any new friends?" Weiss asked, looking across the table to her eldest daughter. Neptune smiled and turned to her to await her response. Cyan nodded eagerly and began discussing in great detail all the people she had met. Ruby smiled fondly at the sight of her two friends so engaged with their children, content simply to listen on, until her scroll ringed and interrupted her peaceful meal.

Muttering apologies as Weiss frowned at her for this breach of etiquette (Some things never change), Ruby reached into her pocket and pulled out her scroll, stepping out of the dining room and into the corridor to talk to her caller.

"What's up, sis!" Came the cheery greeting, with a background sound of raised voices and toasts being made. Sounds like there was a party going on. Typical. Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Hi, Yang" She said happily, unable to keep the excitement from her voice as she failed to hold in a broad smile.

"So, how have you been? What's Atlas like? How are Weiss and Neptune? How are their kids? How are- "

Ruby cut her sister off before she could continue.

"Yang, please. One. Question. At. A. Time. I'm fine, by the way." She said slowly. She could imagine Yang rolling her eyes on the other side of the scroll.

"Good to hear! Good to hear! Me and all the gang at Beacon send our warm regards to the Schnee-Vasilias Household!" Ruby could hear the background shout of approval.

"So, Ruby, I was wandering if it were possible for you to make a visit here?" Yang asked eagerly, causing Ruby to smile. She did want to see her sister, and had an open schedule to allow for it. Smiling widely, Ruby announced her response.

"Uh, yeah, I would love to! I just have another day or so here and then I can make my way there! It would be so good to see everyone again!" Ruby basically squealed into the speaker. Yang cheered triumphantly and the room broke into roars of approval. Ruby smiled. The good old gang.

As Ruby was speaking to her sister, Weiss, back in the dining hall, was listening raptly whilst her daughter regaled her with the tales of her first day of school. Neptune smiled fondly whilst he patted Liberty, their youngest child, on his back as he complained about his sister getting all the attention.

"So, did you meet Headmaster Flynt?" Neptune asked. Cyan nodded.

"He's so relaxed and…uh…" Cyan searched for the word to describe Flynt Coal that was in keeping with proper etiquette.

"Unconventional?" Suggested Weiss, the first thing she often associated with the maverick Huntsman.

"Yes, very. I mean, I know he is a hero and all that, but surely he has to adhere to some standards of discipline, right?" Cyan asked, looking directly at Weiss, as if she could help resolve this situation somehow.

Neptune chuckled at how much of his beloved wife seemed to have rubbed off onto Cyan. He could envisage her future as a huntress very clearly, the bright hopes and idealism she would have, the aspirations, the promise of adventure and romance, all of it. He once felt a similar thing, before…

Well…before…

Neptune clenched the tablecloth as he blinked rapidly, swallowing as he recalled inadvertently some of the things he hoped to never recall. Weiss looked over, concerned, as Liberty tugged at his shoulder, seeing his father's discomfort.

"Is everything alright?" Weiss asked, reaching over to touch his arm. Neptune nodded and looked away, standing abruptly. He would not want his kids to see this.

"Yes. Everything's fine." He lied, walking over to the doorway to the corridor and opening it. He felt the cooler air of the outside halls wash over him as he excused himself, passing Ruby on the way, who glanced up from her scroll, concerned. She was about to inquire as to what he was doing when he waved his hands to symbolise everything was fine, before he rounded a corner to the bathroom.

Neptune opened and closed the door behind him, and then went over to the sink before he turned the tap on. Splashing cold water on to his face, he knelt over the basin and shuddered as he recalled some painful memories of his past, of battles long since won and friends gone even longer. He could still recall it all so vividly. Neptune closed his eyes and breathed out, feeling his hands shake, an after effect of everything he had witnessed.

Cursing softly, he leant back on the bathroom door and slid down slowly to the floor, burying his head in his hands as he tried to shut out the thoughts that assailed him within the confines of his own mind.

For him, the war was not over. For him, the war waged each and every waking hour, behind closed eyes and amidst his dreams, in memories half seen and thoughts half realised, he could always see the battle raging on, the sounds of the dying and the stares of the dead. He could never be free of them…


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: White

 _It wasn't easy._

 _It was never easy._

 _It took a great deal of time and effort and restore my family name to honour, to restore it to its proud and proper state, one that is untainted by the shame and wrongdoings of my father. And yet I now have ownership of the largest and most influential company on Remnant, the Schnee Dust Company, an icon of Atlas._

 _It is only fitting that it should lend it's all to aid the Kingdom in restoring its former majesty and beauty after the ravages of war. The Schnee's shall stand tall and proud, as they always have, and always will…_

 _If I am not the one to uphold my families' legacy, then who shall it be? Who shall take up the mantle of duty? I was raised to be the perfect heiress to the company, raised to be the perfect asset to inherit my father's misgivings and wrongdoings. Of course I was going to rebel against such a thing._

 _Of course I would forge my own path._

 _And while it has not been an easy one, I would not have taken it any other way_

Weiss waited patiently for Neptune to return, the slow ticking of the clock marking the transgression of time with each beat, the immaculate clockwork slowing working its way round with its cold efficiency.

Cyan and Liberty didn't seem to notice anything as being amiss, after all, who were they to comment on the comings and goings of their parents at dinner? They did not mind, so long as their parents did not. This was, after all, an informal meal in the Schnee manse dining hall, with just close family and one friend. There was nothing to be concerned with here in their mind.

But for Weiss, she noted the length of the absence, the dull silence, and the look he had in his eyes as he left the hall. He was unnerved about something…

She waited diligently a little longer, it would not do to have her leave without reason. It was only until Ruby returned before her husband that she felt she had need to be concerned. Ruby strode back into the hall, her long, flowing red hair trailing behind her as she walked back gracefully to her seat, her silver eyes shining excitedly, no doubt about some prospect that had been raised to her just this very moment. Before Ruby could begin to divulge this, however, Weiss asked over Neptune.

"He isn't back yet?" Ruby said, as if just realising this. Weiss stood up, excusing herself, but not before she turned to her two children still discussing matters between themselves.

"Children, please, entertain our guest" She instructed kindly, motioning to Ruby. They nodded eagerly and began launching a tirade of questions at her, all of which Ruby nodded in response to before she became overwhelmed by the barrage of questions.

"Woah! Woah! Slow down there kiddo's!" She chuckled to herself as she held up her open palms in surrender. Weiss smiled and promptly departed the dining hall, entering the maze like halls of Schnee manor.

Weiss found Neptune in the nearest bathroom to the dining hall. He was sitting down on the edge of the bath, sighing to himself about the past. His hands were twitching nervously. Too say the war left its mark upon him was putting it lightly. He was rarely in a state of peace of mind. Weiss suspected it pained him, sometimes, to see his children growing up in such awe of their parents, and desiring to be just like them.

"You can't let yourself be tormented by that which has already happened" Weiss said softly as she went over to Neptune and put her arm around him gently, kissing him on the cheek.

"Not every life could have been saved".

Neptune placed his hand on top of hers and scratched his nose with the other, nodding to himself.

"But I feel they could've been".

Weiss brought him into a tight hug, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him closer. Neptune turned in the hug and embraced her warmly.

"I don't want to add Cyan, or Liberty, to the list of people I didn't save".

Weiss rubbed his back in soothing motions, singing softly in his ear as she calmed him from his nervous bout.

"Hopefully you'll never have to. But the world is in a time of peace. Humanity is advancing more than ever. To think that they would ever be as endangered as we were is preposterous" She calmly replied, kissing him on the lips for good measure. Neptune responded in kind, deepening the kiss and cradling Weiss's head in one hand.

Weiss eventually pulled back and rested her forehead on Neptune's. He closed his eyes and smiled. How lucky he was to have Weiss with him.

"Now let's get you up, Mr. Can't keep the dinner quests waiting, now, can we?" She said sternly, but the hint of kindness that her friends and family could recognise in her tone was present in her voice.

Neptune nodded, rising steadily to his feet. His left hand shook from a nervous shudder he developed many, many years prior. Still, it was little more than a background frustration. Just as many things seemed to be these days.

Weiss took Neptune's hand and pulled him to the door, giving him a soft peck on the cheek as she opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the hallway. The vast, labyrinthine interior of Schnee manor still seemed somewhat imposing to Neptune, even after all these years. He felt as if he was an outsider here…a trespasser, even though he knew nothing could be further from the truth. He was just as much a part of the family as anyone else who had ever lived here was, if not by name but by marital relation.

Still, the cold, imposing faces of the Schnee family always seemed to look down from the portraits on the walls with a cold, vindictive gaze, almost as if they were mocking him. Well, damn them all, he would not give in to their cruel japes.

Weiss, of course, walked these halls as if she owned them…well, truth be told, she did. This was her estate now, after Winter had forsaken the Schnee inheritance and her father had effectively disowned her. Weiss took upon herself the mantle of the Schnee name and company business after her father's untimely, if deserved, demise, all in good stride, like she was born to do it. Again, that needed to be corrected. She was born to do it.

And she could never forget that.

Now in a time of peace, the kingdom of Atlas needed Schnee dust to help itself rebuild from the long string of conflicts, both internal and external, that had plagued the city, causing so much death and destruction, crippling the city and its infrastructure, causing untold damage to the populace.

The company had invested significant sums of money to see this through, and it had all been worth it. The name of the Schnee's was restored to honour, as was the city of Atlas. An eternal monument to the people whose lives had been lost, no matter how great or small their role, had been erected along the main street of the city, down to the CBD. The names of every fallen Atlesian citizen was placed upon a plaque in the great memorial tower, a staggering edifice of steel and mortar, a huge skyscraper of unseen height that recorded the toll the war had on the good citizens of Atlas. Atop it flew the mighty flag of Atlas triumphant, to be raised forevermore in the heavens, above the field of slaughter that Atlas almost became.

Yes, the SDC had made sure the people would forget those who gave their lives in service now the lives that had been mindlessly taken.

Weiss was immeasurably proud with herself for her dedications to Atlas, but the things which she was proudest of lied behind the doors from the hallway into the dining hall. Opening them in one fluid movement, she returned, with Neptune, to their spots and sat down. The objects of her pride sat at their seats, besieging Ruby with question after question about her heroic exploits and adventures across Remnant.

Yes, she, Weiss Schnee, was immeasurably proud of her two children, her greatest achievement, her greatest legacy. She loved them more than she could describe, a love which exceeded any and all others, bar the love she felt for her husband, Neptune.

Truly, she was utterly, utterly, at peace in her life right now, surrounded by loving family. And that was the way she wanted to keep it…


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Black:

 _The massive cannon discharged round after round into the night sky, tracer fire flickering amongst the swirling flocks of Nevermores as the MAA tanks trundled forth between the hills._

 _An explosion illuminated the dark as a missile fired from an infantry squadron landed in the midst of a Beowulf horde. The sound of rifle fire filled the air as the Grimm hordes met the defenders of Vale in battle._

 _And in the middle of this battle, a figure drove forth, almost insubstantial as they leapt from shadow to shadow, their long black hair flowing behind them like a cape as they jumped from Grimm to Grimm, their weapon outstretched and landing a killing blow with each contact. The avenging shadow stalked the horde of Beowulf's that had overrun a defending gun line, delivering righteous vengeance with swift fury._

 _The machines of war were ensconced safely in a complex network of overlapping killing fields and trenches that lapped the walls of Vale, the occasional crater pockmarking the defence network. They unleashed furious salvos of fire into the sky to deter the hordes of Nevermores that were ravaging the walls with their talons and otherwise proving a threat to the ground forces._

 _However, the sky soon became dominated by flashes of lightning, one not at all associated with any powers of man or magic, but of Grimm._

 _The figure heard the cries of the defenders as the skies tore open and shattered the earth where they stood with such otherworldly force that the ground shook for leagues._

" _RAIJU!"_

 _The cries of the defenders were taken up as the bolts of lightning condensed into a cone to form the outline of a great cat as it landed on the ground, before fading into incorporeal blackness._

 _The shadow clutched her weapon close to her, and made her way towards this ancient, and horrendous, Grimm, one that could command the power of nature in its form._

 _Weapon raised, the shadow took what appeared to be solid form as it leapt into the air and into the light of the Grimm Raiju's presence, a katana in hand…_

Shining amber eyes opened suddenly to gaze into the pristine white of a pillow case, a far cry from the oh so real dream that their owner had just been having. Blankets ruffling around her as she turned gently in her early morning stretch, she blinked slowly to accustom herself to the light. She purred contently when she read her bedside clock and saw it was but 7:00 in the morning. Smiling in satisfaction to herself, she rolled over in her bed, closing her eyes and clutching her warm blankets closer to her bare chest, her skin prickling at the cold.

It was then that she realised something.

Opening her eyes, she saw that the other half of her bed was unoccupied, but still warm. Sitting up, she also realised her bedroom door was ajar. That would explain why it felt colder than usual.

She also realised she could smell something absolutely mouth-watering drifting in. The smell of fish, bacon, eggs and toast assailed her finely honed sense as she discarded her blankets and crawled to the edge of her bed before hoping off, foregoing a robe in the comfortable privacy of her own house. Stepping downstairs, wincing at the pinpricks of cold on her skin, she saw Sun, already (inexplicably) "dressed" in a pair of shorts, at the frying pan, preparing the odd breakfast of bacon, eggs, fish and…banana. Well…stereotypes exist for a reason, sometimes. Blake smiled fondly at her husband's devotion.

"Cooking breakfast in bed now are we Sun?" Blake teased gently by way of introduction, as she smoothed her raven black hair out into a neater mass as she placed one hand upon the railings of the staircase. Sun's head whipped up and around in response to his wife, before he broke out into a radiant smile that still made Blake's heart flutter.

"Indeed I am, beautiful" He called. "Prepare to be served", he announced with all his boyish charm still intact. He readied two plates and two glasses, filling one with milk and the other with orange juice, before he put it all on a platter he had ready. Dividing his, no doubt superbly cooked, bacon into two neat groups with the spatula before putting them on their respective plate, he meticulously made sure that Blake's fish was cooked just the way she liked before he prepared his own food. Blake giggled at his antics, causing Sun to spin around and point a mockingly accusatory finger at her.

"Hey! Don't just stand there, all naked and hot like that Blake! You can either come here and get your food like some sort of peasant or you can return to _our_ bed and await the delivery of the best food this side of Remnant, courtesy of Sun Wukong!" He announced proudly.

Blake laughed and returned upstairs to their bedroom, thrilled to be getting served breakfast in bed and even more thrilled at the prospect of fish! This early in the morning too!

Basically diving onto the bed, she lounged around happily as she awaited Sun, who showed up mere minutes later, breakfast in hand. Placing the tray on the bedside table, he was about to make some sort of joke before Blake tackled him into bed, kissing his lips madly.

Sun pulled back, smiled quizzically at Blake, and shrugged with the line of "Fuck breakfast. Let's bang" (I can't stop imagining Sun saying Michael-esque things).

Seeing as how neither of them were particularly clothed, it didn't take long for things to get intense. Sun wrapped his arms around Blake's naked form, running his other free hand through her raven locks as Blake held his hand in her hands, their mouths interlocked, their naked forms pressed up against each other.

Sun gently caressed Blake as he ran his hand done her spine, slowly trailing his fingers along the small of her back, causing her to moan ecstatically as he trailed his finger up and over her leg and rested it on her inner thigh. Blake smiled seductively and wrapped her legs around his waist before flipping him over and onto his back, so that she rested on top.

"Oh, you're a feisty kitten today, Blake" Sun smirked as Blake leaned in and kissed his lips gently, as Sun cupped her breasts in hand. The two slowly grow more and more passionate in their affections, each one bringing the other to new heights by means of love, passion, or simply sensual pleasure, with Blake firmly holding Sun in place with her hands upon his shoulders, or Sun with his potent lovemaking.

The two remain interlocked for quite some time, their lusts and desires taking some time to be quenched, and, by the time they were done, they were utterly exhausted. Blake rolled of Sun and sprawled on the bedcovers, purring delightedly in sated content as Sun toyed ideally with a lock of her hair, his eyes half closed as he breathed in and out raggedly, his chest rising and falling with exertion.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.

"It's fucking bacon time now!" He announced suddenly, and Blake snorted in amusement as Sun grabbed the tray and placed it between them, before he dove right in.

She laughed at her husbands' antics for the second time in the morning before she sat up and set to work on her lovingly prepared meal herself.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Yellow:

 _This was not the first time I had brought a boy back home. Usually though, it was under different circumstances. This was the first time I had brought back a boy because they were injured._

 _And hopefully, Dad wouldn't throw him out like he tended to do with most boys he caught me with…oh, those were the days._

 _As I looked at this man though...Xun…as he said he was, I can't help but be reminded of myself in some ways…or, rather…how I used to think of myself. All proud and cocksure. I sincerely hoped there was more to this newest associate of mine than that, though, for whatever reason. I couldn't quite explain it, but I hoped there was more to Xun than I saw._

" _Where am I?" Xun asked suddenly, causing me to refocus my attention to the matter at hand.  
"You're at my home. On patch. There's no one else here, everyone else is off fighting or helping the fight. I brought you here to tend to your wounds somewhere where the medics who are doing real work won't get distracted"_

 _Xun sat upright, and I restrained him, yet it took some effort. He was very strong, I noted._

" _If it's not 'real work' for the medics, as you put it, that means it's not life threatening or skill impairing. If it's neither of those, I don't need treatment. People need help, as you said" Xun announced, suddenly serious. I was not expecting this change in tone._

" _Where's your team?" I asked suddenly, realising he was alone when I first encountered him._

 _Xun closed his eyes and sighed heavily, before he chose to respond._

" _They're all dead" He announced quietly._

 _I gasped. Surely not?  
"How?" I asked softly._

 _Xun rolled over on the makeshift medical bed (AKA the guest bed) and looked me in the eye._

" _A mission gone wrong. A mission I was leading. I made a mistake, and I got them all killed."_

Yang was currently alone in her classroom, filing through the various pieces of paperwork she had collected from her students on their various combat styles, weapons, and stances on fighting. Some of them had potential, Yang would admit, but this potential was ensnared by ignorance or arrogance. More were, quite simply, "satisfactory", and it seemed that they wanted to do nothing more than to pass their tests. This was unacceptable. People aiming for a pass were aiming for a fail, in her books. She expected everyone to try to achieve the highest possible results. Even if they didn't get there quickly, the constant act of trying would mean you would improve. A hunter who never tried to improve was a hunter with a death wish. There were even more who, while they had the skill, seemed to not want to use it for anything else than for showing off or beating their classmates. Those ones would be the worst of all, the ones who believed that they were already exceptional. She would have to beat them down a few pegs first. She could identify them pretty damn fast just by looking at them, but now she had their names, thanks to her little "test".

Good.

Now let's make them fight each other first thing next lesson. Keep on going until they've all beaten each other. That way, they shall all have a loss on their records, and that should weaken their beliefs a bit. The next step will be making them fight the ones in the class who were even better, but not possessed of arrogance or snide. Sometimes, people had to experience defeat to get them to improve. Those who went through Beacon believing they could breeze through it would find a different picture once out in the world.

And it was her job to ready people for the world.

She sighed as she read through another report citing how the writer believed themselves to "Excel at Close Range combat", adding on a "flawless record", whilst going on to say that they needed no improvement in the area. Yang snorted. Yeah right. As if someone perfected close range combat at 18.

She was taking down notes on these suspect students when there was a knock on the door. Expecting a student, Yang merely asked:  
"Yes, what is it? I'm a very busy woman, you know" In a rather snappish tone.

"Too busy even for me? Oh, c'mon, no way that second-year paperwork is more interesting than _me"_ came a familiar voice, both deep and gruff yet possessed of a gentle caring. Yang put down her pen and looked up from her paperwork to see Xun standing in the doorway.

"Oh, it isn't. But it needs to be done" She announced, with both a smile and a hint of annoyance. Xun smirked to himself as he walked down from the top of the lecture hall and onto the stage where Yang's desk was, stepping over to her and wrapping his arms around her.

"Well, I take it you don't object to some company?" He smiled as he kissed her on the cheek. Yang laughed quietly to herself as she leaned back and caressed Xun's face.

"Not at all" She smiled and kissed him on the lips. Xun smirked again as he pulled up two of the viewing chairs from beside the stage and set them next to the desk, sitting on one and propping his feet up on the other.

"So, what is this work even about?" Xun said as he grabbed one of the completed forms off Yang's desk and read over it, frowning slightly and shaking his head at some of the responses on the paper.

"Measuring student's competence as opposed to their arrogance and attitude. Most only seem to possess one or the other. About 3 possess skill _and_ humility." She said, her tone carrying a note of contempt. Xun put the paper back down on the pile and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Well, they are still in school. Second years at that. Arrogance is found mostly in this year" He stated, remembering what second years were like back at his school. Yang nodded to herself before she set her pen down again in frustration and turned to Xun.

"It's just that…even after all of this…how can people still be so…relaxed? I mean, it's not like the Grimm are extinct, their still out there…and it's not like they've become less dangerous…less prevalent, yes…but still…they are deadly beasts, and it's not like they're going to go easy on them just because they went to Beacon. Hunters still need to be trained to the best they can be, if not beyond, yet so many here are so…passive…for lack of a better word, in their skills that it's frustrating!"

Xun stood up and motioned for Yang to do the same, to which she reluctantly did. Xun held her arms out for her, and she took them eagerly, embracing her husband in a tight embrace.

"Well, if I know anything about you, which I do, I know that by the end of this week, you'll have beaten that out of them. All of them" He announced proudly. Yang smiled at him and kissed him again, tenderly, on the lips, before she ran her hands down his side and embraced him again.

Xun sighed softly as Yang held onto the embrace, each one content in each other's arms, before she released him and sat back down.

"Thank you, Xun. I know I might be taking this a bit too far, but…well…this _is_ my passion"

"I thought I was your passion?" Xun joked, to which Yang responded by throwing her pen at his face, earning a satisfying _tink_ as it bounced off his cheek.

"I mean my _occupational_ passion, stupid" She growled good naturedly. Xun laughed as he leant over and picked up her pen and put it back down on her desk.

"I know what you mean, and I understand where you're coming from. Seeing the future of our world taken so casually can be a bit of a stress at times, huh? Now I know how all of our teachers must have felt"

"Oh, I dread to think how we were seen too" Yang laughed, leaning back and recounting all the times teachers had gone off at her or her friends for not taking things seriously. You didn't really take the world seriously back then, even if you thought you did.

"Still, we can't go easy on them because of that" Yang added, back to being serious. Xun chuckled.

"Oh, I agree" He stated, before looking at his watch and rising suddenly.

"Ah, shit, Jaune wants me to go over something about first year students in his office soon."

Yang smiled at him as he kissed her on the cheek once more and hugged her by way of goodbye.

"Can't leave him waiting. I bet he has just thought up some new form of torment to unleash upon them" She joked, only half-serious as Xun nodded in agreement.

"Or it could actually be something important for once" He said hopefully, to which they both laughed. Jaune being serious was something that was pretty rare in non-essential matters, even after everything he had been through.

"Well, the point still stands. He is _technically_ our boss" He said as he gave Yang one last kiss on the lips, gently running a hand through her hair as he cradled her head. Yang responded in kind with her own passionate caress, before he pulled back and smiled at her.

"I love you. I really do" He said sincerely, as Yang smiled and poked him in the face.

"You big softie, you" She said playfully, but thinking and feeling the exact same thing.

"Only around you" He amended, to which Yang added.

"Me too. I love you, Xun" Smiling radiantly as she returned to her paperwork, Xun turned and left by the door at the top of the hall, leaving Yang alone to finish the last of her paperwork in bliss.

 _I love you. I really do._

Those words still brought a smile to her lips and a flutter to her heart even after all these years since he had first said those words.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Classes:

 _What would a person like me find at Beacon?_

 _My hero? No, my hero was the mother I never knew._

 _To find answers? Why? I have all the answers I need._

 _All that I want is to take upon myself the mantle of a huntress, and, in doing so, make my family proud. For the good of all._

Vermillion sat with her team in the history lecture hall of their first serious class of Beacon. Mauve was waiting intently for their Professor, Lie Ren, to arrive, whilst Umbra was toying with her pen in one hand while she rested her head in her hand with the other. Ecru was merely leaning back and resting one hand atop a closed fist, tapping his index finger on the knuckle of his right hand in some idiosyncratic fashion that was peculiar to him. He was always doing it when they were in a state of rest, it seemed, and no-one knew why.

Vermillion herself was being…less patient. Between changing her attention every ten seconds to something new, and wholly uninteresting, constantly scanning the classroom, and idly playing with her poncho, she was not at all relaxed.

"Ugh, this is taking so _long…"_ She growled as she banged her head onto her desk. Umbra, who was sitting down past Ecru, smiled and told her to be patient. Their teacher was only a _minute_ late.

Although it did seem odd for him not to be here beforehand…after all, wasn't Ren supposed to be one of the most punctual teachers in the school?

Just as Vermillion looked up for something else to ponder on, she suddenly saw their teacher literally _materialise_ out of thin air, and then walk to his desk casually. The class suddenly exclaimed loudly as many of them, engaged in their own conversations, noticed the spontaneously appearing teacher.

"How did you do that?" Someone up the back cried out, to which Ren deadpanned his response.

"What, this? I was always here. You just never noticed me. Be thankful I'm not your combat instructor. They would have a fit if you didn't notice a concealed opponent"

"But you just appeared out of nowhere!" Someone else cried out in vain.

"No. I'm just really good at self-concealment" Ren replied, 100% serious, as he set down his textbook on his desk and stood before the class.

"Now everyone, moving on from my talent at games of hide-and-seek, can we begin this class? Good? Alright" Ren announced, diving straight into his lecture.

"Now, as I am sure you all know, I am Professor Ren, one of the "Great Eight" as some people say, and a veteran in both the War of Light and a great deal of high-profile hunter missions. I am sure you have many questions about me and what I have done, but I will begin with saying This-I won't answer these questions outside of this _one_ lesson. I am here to teach you about history, from the origins of man, the numerous conflicts with Grimm, the rise of the Kingdoms, the Faunas Rights War, and, yes, the War of Light.

However, I sense that some of these topics might be less interesting to you than the big one, which is, of course, the seven years of war that I fought in. This will be a major focus of study for all of you, but it shall come after, not before, the major events of 'earlier' modern history. We cannot forget about the Great War or the Founding, so we shall be discussing them also. But, as I said, I know many of you have questions about me, personally, so, for this one lesson, let's get all of that out of the way. Who wants to ask me something?"

Almost immediately, every hand in the room shot up. Ren sighed, and began working methodically across from bottom to top, left to right as he picked students in the hall. The questions ranged from the painfully obvious- "Who is your greatest ally? Who is your best friend amongst the heroes? Who do you spend the most time with outside of teaching?" To which Vermillion mentally replied with "Nora, Nora, Nora. Read a fucking history book or autobiography or something, numbskulls" and which Ren merely replied calmly that it was indeed his long-time childhood friend, now lover (He didn't say this, Vermillion just added it on herself).

Some of the questions were more intelligent- "What do you think was the importance of this battle as opposed to that one, what was the biggest concern of the people during the war, what were your toughest moments, etc. etc.". Ren gave a well-rounded and meaningful answer to all of these questions, but all were curt and short, blunt and straight to the point. As Ren moved along the first row, he eventually came to pick Vermillion.

"Do you agree with the titles and honours you've all been given, or do you feel that some are undeserved, as you were merely doing what was right?"

The class went silent (mostly) as Ren paused on this question longer than he had on the others. Someone shouted out "Good question!" but were immediately shushed by those around them.

"I, personally, feel that my colleagues deserve each and every one of the medals and honours they received, even if it was just doing, as you say, 'what was right'. But, and this is something that the history books won't tell you, I feel that people forgot just how many we failed to save, and what it cost us all. If you want to hear more about this, speak to Coco. She has some…interesting views on the topic" Ren eventually replied, with a carefully guarded tone as he moved on to the next person.

Ecru nudged Vermillion with his massive arm, causing her to look over to him disdainfully as he lent over.

"Good question, but it seems you've been wanting to ask that for a long time"

Vermillion nodded, robbing her ribs where Ecru had poked her.

"I have. I've always felt that not all of them are as they are portrayed, so noble and righteous. The books and the stories make them seem so…well…godlike that it's hard to imagine them as humans. I want to see them as humans, not as whatever the media portrays them to be. Humans are more relatable and a hell of a lot less scary than semi-divine superheroes. Plus, I always feel suspicious around people who are said to be perfect. You can always trust a criminal to be a criminal, you can always trust a trickster to trick, a liar to lie, and a foolish man to be a fool. But a paragon of nobility and virtue? What can you trust them to be all the time? The world doesn't allow for people to do what's right all the time, that's why you can trust a dishonest person to be dishonest; it's easier than honesty, after all, and, in some cases, better. But for an honest person to be good all the time? What have they done to achieve that? The world is cruel, more so in war, and there comes time when there truly is no good choice. I don't believe that these people have never once done something wrong. I would like to find out that they can do wrong, that way, I know they are truly the heroes they are praised to be. If not, then it seems they are made to be something they're not."

Ecru frowned at this logic.

"You want them to have done something bad because that makes them better than if they had always done good?" He queried.

Vermillion nodded.

"No one can be right all the time, and after all the horrors and calamities these people fought through, are we seriously to believe they came out with their honour intact? I find that to be a little more than suspicious. If they have done something wrong, but continued to do good, _then_ they are a hero"

Ecru nodded as he pondered on this statement.

"While I don't agree with what you're saying, I understand the logic. But I think it is possible to do good all the time" He claimed. Vermillion frowned at him.

"Are you _serious?_ One can never be good all the time!" She yelled in a hushed whisper, and was about to berate him further for his naïve (in her eyes) opinion, when their professor clapped his hands together loudly.

"Alright!" He announced excitedly. "Let's move away from me, and onto some note taking" He proclaimed as he started writing some page numbers done on the board, much to the chagrin of the class, and more than a few moans.

Vermillion continued their exchange as they opened up their textbooks to the assigned page.

"Life's hard. People make hard choices. That's a fact. And those hard choices are between the lesser and greater evil" She whispered.

"Ah, but isn't choosing the lesser evil the right thing to do?" Ecru replied in his own hushed tones.

"No. There both evil. That's why their called 'the two evils'-cause their both bad" She shot back.

"But one is much worse than the other"  
"Depends what it's done for though"  
"So if the lesser evil is chosen for good, than its good?"

"No, if the lesser evil is chosen for good, then it's evil, but it was right"

"So your saying you want to find out all the times the heroes of the world chose between two evils, because that makes them more heroic, when they willingly do bad for a good intent? Yeah, good luck with that. By the way, what are your favourite flowers? I want to know so I can bring them to your funeral" Ecru japed as Vermillion slapped his muscular arm in retaliation, and then regretted that very much as she uncovered that A) His arm felt like steel, and B) Her wrist wasn't meant to hit things that felt like they were made out of steel.

"Son of a bit…"


	16. Chapter 15

Haunted:

 _It was snowing lightly when we gathered underneath the trees to say goodbye to Velvet._

 _Laid out in a simple coffin in a shroud of velvet, with flowers placed upon her heart, Velvet was to be buried here, of all places._

 _A nameless grove atop a nameless hill by a nameless river, deep in the heart of this Grimm infested land._

 _Still, even as the cold tinge of autumn lay upon my cheeks, I could not help but see the beauty of this place._

" _Does anyone want to say any words?" Yatsuhashi asked, looking at me, as the other six of us gathered closer._

 _I nodded, and walked over to the coffin where my best friend lay dead. I removed my glasses and beret, and took a single round from my bandolier, and put it in the coffin beside her._

" _May a part of me stay with you forever, Velvet." I leant in closer to whisper in her ear, where no one could hear._

" _I'm sorry. It should've been me"._

 _As I returned to my place beneath the tree, Yatsuhashi nodded and had the coffin covered and lowered into the ground. No one said anything as Yatsuhashi turned and left without another word, or as the others gradually left one by one. I remained alone, on the hill, as the snow began to fall in earnest name, on me and the freshly covered grave, beneath a nameless grove atop a nameless hill beside a nameless river._

" _It should've been me. But it wasn't."_

Sitting in the teacher's lounge with a mug of coffee in hand sat Coco Adel, her eyes half closed as she reflected on the amount of new students she had to manage. Thankfully, none of them died whilst on initiation, but from her brief encounters with the other staff, there was a general opinion that these new students were ill-adjusted to their current position. Granted, this was the end of the first week, and things were a little…chaotic, but still, they seemed to remain stoically set in their ways.

Coco sighed as she took a deep draught of her drink before she set the mug down on the table and leaned back on the couch, reaching over to the side of the lounge to collect the remote and switch the (impressively large) TV screen to whatever was most interesting. After switching through several channels before finding something even remotely entertaining (A fashion review show, which reviewed fashions she was already familiar with, but never mind that), Coco rubbed her face with her palm before she rested her hand on her cheek and titled her head to the side as she closed her eyes fully. She was tired, which was odd, because she didn't really get tired from fighting. The pressure of constantly being "professional" was harder than she thought…

"Trying to stay awake there, Coco?" Came the voice of Jaune as he sat down beside her, after having apparently materialised out of thin air into the room. Coco laughed without opening her eyes.

"Heh. No, I'm awake. Unfortunately, just thinking about all the new first years we have" She replied honestly. Jaune chuckled.

"Yeah. Been hearing mixed reports about them. Got the standard from Ren, you know, those blunt and unintentionally hilarious remarks he makes about students sometimes? Stuff about "Lack of appropriate demeanour" or "Engaging the teacher in one sided and inappropriate flirting'".

Coco laughed harder at this one, leaning forward and turning to see if Jaune was serious. He was.

"Yeah, get a lot of that myself" Jaune said, somewhat annoyed. Coco raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh? Well, make sure you save some for me, mister!" She mocked, pocking him in the arm. Jaune chuckled and shifted his position to be comfortable.

"Well, c'mon, half the student body talks about _you"_ Jaune pointed out, and, in all fairness, he wasn't wrong.

"Oh really? Well, I do know that I am _fabulous,_ but _Yang_ is definitely the focus of the student body…and some of the teaching staff, if I suspect correctly"

"Such as? Aside from Xun, of course" Jaune stated. Coco smirked. Jaune engaging in gossip? This was rare.

Still, better make the most of it…

"Well, assistant lecturer Brown, associate professor Grey, and, of course, the second year students who keep on going on about what's his face…uh…Topaz…who apparently saw something he wasn't supposed to…"

Jaune cocked his head, nodding whilst trying to hold in a smirk.

"Really? Well, Mr. Brown, he is…sensible, I hope…but then again, he is rather young, barely older than our students, and Grey is…well…Grey…she likes _you as well._ But uh…what is this thing about Topaz?"

"You haven't heard?" Jaune shook his head.

"Oh. Oh dear. I thought you knew. Well, you see, when we…correction, when _you,_ just want to make that clear so I don't get killed to death by Yang or Xun later on for being involved in this, sent Topaz with the note to their room, Xun answered, and somewhere along the line he supposedly got a glimpse of something he wasn't meant to see, because Xun made sure he remained silent on the matter.

So, of course, when he got back to his dorm, he remained silent, being the sensible person he is. However, a combination of his team's inquisitiveness when he told them about this whole situation, and some interpretative responses to his answers, led them to conclude that Xun told him off because he saw Yang naked. Or partially naked. The rumour gets wildly different depending on which version you hear. Anyhow, the issue remains that the second years are all going to Topaz for details, and his team isn't helping. Naturally. Topaz isn't responding to these questions, because he, rightfully so, fears the retribution of Yang/Xun if he does say anything, _anything at all."_

Jaune nodded as he digested this, coming to the conclusion that someone was going to be on the receiving end of a lot of shit.

"So uh…if you know all this, why not intervene?" Jaune asked.

"What? And miss out on the glorious, glorious retribution? Pft. I'll pass. Let the people involved deal with it. It's not really serious, just some idle gossip, but I think that when they get faced with the penalties for such actions, they'll regret it. Maybe they will come to focus a little more on important things"

Coco glanced behind Jaune briefly before turning back to him and continuing.

"Also, I feel that the students need to learn to respect their friend's choice to remain silent. I mean, if he isn't saying anything, there is a reason, and that's not just that Xun is big and scary, it's because Xun is a good judge of character. An insanely good judge. Probably why he is counsellor, after all. But anyway, Topaz is staying silent because he is respectful. Xun saw that in him, which is why he trusted him with that. Also, it is worth noting that the one thing Topaz did say conclusively prior to this whole thing getting out of hand is that, in 'private', Xun is really, really sweet with Yang. Apparently. But let's not get too side tracked. They need to learn to trust in each other's judgement."

Jaune smiled sagely, whilst mentally giggling at the thought of his old friend Xun being 'sweet' with anyone. He did know that he was very different around Yang, but sweet? No, that was unheard of.

"Xun being sweet? Oh, man, that gives me so much ammo. Give me more information, _please."_ Jaune practically begged.

"What? You mean like calling Yang 'sweetie'?"

Jaune let out a small cry of joy.

"Oh, yes. This has so much potential!"

It was then that Jaune realised something Coco had said earlier, regarding the students, and came to a sudden conclusion.

"Your trying to turn this into a lesson for them, aren't you?"

"Trying to? I'm succeeding!" Coco announced as she leant back and closed her eyes once more, a smile on her face as she folded her arms behind her head.

"Oh? Why's that?" Jaune said.

"Look behind you" Coco said simply, without moving a muscle.

Jaune turned his head to see Yang standing at the doorway, eyes flickering between indigo and red as her hair sparkled gently in anger.

"Thank you, Coco, for this enlightening discussion" She said simply, apparently having heard the entirety of this conversation and then having resolved to go deal with this problem herself.

Glorious, glorious retribution indeed.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some students to kill, and a husband to kiss" With that, she turned and left, embers trailing behind her as she began her hunt.

Coco patted the couch around her as she begun to lie down.

"Well, I guess I should follow her to make sure she doesn't seriously kill anyone" Jaune announced, and, in an oddly comforting gesture, he briefly placed his hands over Coco's before looking her in the eye and smiling.

Coco, inexplicably, blushed at this contact before she regained her composure.

"Indeed you should, Headmaster" She said, in mock seriousness, trying to downplay the feeling she just had when Jaune touched her.

Jaune rose, seemingly unaware of the effect his brief contact had on Coco, and then turned to look down at her.

"I'll bring you the details later. Maybe over a glass of wine out in town, hey?" He said, winking, before he left after Yang.

Coco sat there, dumbfounded. Did he just…invite her on a date?

 _Holy Shit,_ thought Coco.

 _Jaune was being…romantic…_


	17. Chapter 16

TIGR:

 _I never really knew my father, who died in the war, who left the families weapon in my care, who was gone so often he was never there for us in person, but always there in spirit._

 _He died a hero, and he would want me to continue, so that is what I shall do, even if he never lived to see it, I shall do him proud by carrying on his legacy._

 _I just hope I can do it well enough._

Topaz and his team were sitting in the Beacon dining hall, enjoying their meals, trying to fend off the continual stream of people who walked by asking for details about his early morning escapade.

Seriously, all he had said was 'The Professor berated me for an invasion of him and his wife's privacy', which, thanks to his teammates Indigo's interpretation, took 'invasion of privacy' to mean 'saw one of them naked', and since it wouldn't have been the professor (He answered the door, after all), it would have to be Yang.

To further his difficulty, his denials fell on deaf ears after he said "I didn't see anything", which his team took as "I saw her naked, but not clearly". No matter how much he denied these statements, his teammates wouldn't hear of it. Well, two of them wouldn't.

Which led to the situation he was in now, desperately trying to deter all the inquisitive/perverted students who came to hear about the private lives of two of the most well respected staff at the school. Topaz was finishing swatting away one particularly persistent student when he heard the door to the hall open, followed by the sounds of furious footsteps and a rising silence as someone came charging down the hall.

"WHERE ARE THEY!? TEAM TIGR! STAND AND FACE ME!" Came the enraged cry of a very annoyed Yang Xiao Long, her hair ablaze. Trailing at the minimal safe distance (5 Meters) behind her was Jaune, who was resigned to let this scene play out before he tried to intervene. He knew Yang wouldn't take it too far…probably.

The hall went dead silent as Topaz stood up hastily, his meal forgotten, urging his team mates to do the same. Indigo paled as she rose, being the closest to the enraged behemoth that is Professor Xiao Long. Grizzle, the tank of the team, attempted to bolt for it, making it a mighty distance of three tables, before he was caught on the arm by a certain Professor Xun, who had come forth immediately from the teachers table when he saw Yang charging in. For all his might, their giant teammate was being held back single handed by the professional huntsman.

"I don't think so, mate" Whispered the calm yet angered Xun as he led the panicking Grizzle back to his teams table. Regalia, the swiftest fighter of the team, shook her mane of long purple hair at her partner's foolishness before she stood up and faced the three teachers.

"You all have a _lot_ of explaining to do" Yang stated bluntly, her voice levelled now as Xun stood by her side, holding her shoulder. Jaune stepped closer and nodded.

"I agree. I understand that it can be fun to discuss things like this between yourselves, but this has become a circus. You can discuss these things as a team, but don't drag everyone else into the hole with you" Jaune said, trying to diffuse the situation.

Yang was a little more than annoyed by this.

"Keep it between themselves? Not when it's about us! They shouldn't be talking about us full stop!" Yang shouted as Jaune held up his hands in defeat.

"Hey, teenagers gossip, it's unrealistic to expect them to just not talk about…certain things" Jaune said, minding his words as Yang's eyes glowed a brilliant shade of red. "But I concur, this is preposterous. If your trying to exacerbate a rumour, you're doing you and your team a disservice. Especially when the basis of that rumour is entirely unfounded."

Jaune was addressing the whole hall now, whilst Yang and Xun were still glaring angrily at him and his team. Topaz swallowed. This was not going to end well.

"Now, I would be a fool to act like I had never done the same before. Yes, we all know gossip happens. Whether we chose to ignore it or indulge it is up to us, but, as Huntsman and Huntresses, we should remember, we stand for the truth. Don't ignore a fellow hunter-in-training when they say the rumours are false"

The Hall was dead silent, bar someone coughing awkwardly in the background. Jaune motioned for everyone to resume conversation whilst he gestured for Team TIGR to go outside with him and two incensed teachers. Topaz resigned himself to his fate for the second time in that evening and led by example, his teammates following behind him, shamefaced, aside from Regalia, who remained poised and dignified even as they marched to their (hopefully not real) deaths.

Outside, the three members of staff wasted no time getting stuck into them.

"Alright, lets sort this bullshit out. Topaz, what did you say to your team?" Xun asked, straight off the bat, dead serious.

Topaz swallowed nervously, shrinking under the harsh, authoritarian gaze of Xun, the cold, yet strangely sympathetic gaze of their headmaster and the blazing light of demonic hellfire that was Yang's stare.

"I…uh, well, um, you see, all I said was I delivered a letter to you, you had a little rant about Jaune- "Topaz noticed Jaune fold his arms and raise his eyebrows at Xun in response whilst looking expectantly at him- "Then you said this was small invasion of you and your wife's privacy, then you delivered the letter, got the response, then came back and gave it to me after some questioning. I was going to remark upon the oddity of giving someone a note when I could've just carried the message, but…well, you know"

Topaz was trying to say his teammates were to blame without actually blaming them…clearly he didn't want to belittle or betray his team. He was hoping he was successful.

He wasn't.

"Oh, c'mon, you're going to do that to us?" Indigo said petulantly as Topaz didn't defend them (Not that he necessarily should, of course, but still, they _are_ his teammates. He should defend them, out of obligation if not loyalty).

Yang turned to Indigo vehemently, pointing her finger at the startled girl.

"You! So your responsible?" She asked, but Grizzle stepped forth.

"Actually, I am just too much as blame as she is" He admitted, downcast.

"Well, at least you have the decency to admit it, then" Xun stated, as he glared threateningly at him. Yang rounded on Grizzle.

"That still doesn't spare you judgement! What were you _thinking?_ To go ahead and do something that stupid shows you clearly weren't. Why couldn't you just respect your teammates responses, huh? He didn't want to keep a secret from you, he wanted to keep something private for _us._ There's a big difference there."

The two members who had been lectured stood there in silence whilst Topaz died internally of embarrassment and shame. Only Regalia, who did not get herself caught up in this, was left with her head still held high. Seeing the young students put in their place in such a manner was enough to prompt Jaune to act now.

"Well, I think we can say we've all learned a lesson today. Don't interfere with a person's private life. Respect their silence, and, most importantly, don't piss off Yang. Well, actually, I did _already know_ those things, but uh, well, I guess you learnt that today then, right?" Jaune said, breaking the stifling silence that was setting in.

"But, now that you have learnt that, I still can't let you go without some form of actual punishment, so, let's just say, that in any and all practical activities your team is involved in for the ensuing month, you will have to stay behind for a _ll_ of them to tidy up. Wait, no, and you'll have to get there early to help prepare. That should teach you to understand how much teachers do for you, which is why it's so abhorrent to see student's doing something like _this"_ Jaune said, waving his hand about the whole situation in a vague sweeping gesture.

The collective of Team TIGR groaned as they were sent back into the mess hall, whilst Jaune, Yang and Xun remained outside, facing each other.

"Little shits" Yang muttered under her breath as Jaune face palmed.

"Ugh…Yang please, _please,_ don't threaten student's lives to the point where were worried for their safety" He groaned as Xun laughed, wrapping his arm around Yang and pulling her into a hug.

"Pft! C'mon Jaune, what are you expecting, this is Yang were talking about!" He said as he kissed her on the cheeks. Jaune smiled at this exchange.

"Still, whilst thinking about these rumours going around, I heard there is another one about _you,_ Xun" Jaune smirked.

Xun immediately stopped hugging Yang and turned fully to Jaune, grabbing him by his shoulders and looking him in the eye.

"Tread carefully, mate" Xun said, in mock seriousness.

Jaune smiled, not in the least perturbed.

"Well, it's just that…apparently…you're really quite the romantic around Yang when you think no one's around…"

Xun stopped being mock serious and became actually serious.

"Please elaborate" He said bluntly.

"Someone told me…" Jaune started, but he was cut off by Xun.

"That someone being Coco" Xun completed and then let go of Jaune.

"Right!" He exclaimed loudly. "Where is she?" He asked as he pulled out his sword from his sheathe. Yang rolled her eyes.

"Please, I don't mind about _that_ Xun" She told him, to which he replied huffily.

"Well, _I_ do"

"C'mon, you're my husband. Everyone knows your romantic with me. That's why their jealous. Because it only works when you do it" She said, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.

Jaune was laughing now at the disgruntled look on Xun's face, knowing that his long time pranking rival had overheard all of that.

"This isn't over, Jaune" He said simply. Jaune smiled.

"I wouldn't dream of it"

Back in the dining hall, Team TIGR sat down dejectedly whilst pondering their fate.

"Well, this is some bullshit" Grizzle said as he face-planted onto the table in despair. Regalia sighed as she ran her hand down the side of her face and grumbled about being punished for someone else's actions.

"Guys, seriously, did you not expect something bad to come of this? I told you to stop saying this stuff!" Topaz said as he returned to his seat.

"Well, yeah, you did, but we didn't listen" Indigo muttered as she picked at her food, appetite lost.

"That is technically your fault" Regalia scorned as she glared at her troublesome teammate. Indigo returned the glare.

"Guys, gals, please, calm down" Topaz said, trying to maintain some semblance of peace in the team after that little misadventure.

"Were all to blame here, in some form or other. Me for opening my big fucking mouth in the first place, you two for saying all this crap, and Regalia for not being sensible like she always is and telling us to shut the hell up" He said, with a smile on his face as he looked pointedly at the purple haired girl in question. Regalia scoffed and blew out a puff of air to clear aside one of her bangs in a faux attempt at appearing annoyed, but the corners of her mouth were clearly upturned.

"So, I know we are in a little bit of shit right now, but hey, we are still alive, right, with all four limbs attached?"

The team murmured consent.

"Good! Plus, it's not like we have to stay up late at night doing all this work, and, thankfully, we didn't get any _extra_ work"

The team nodded in agreement.

"So, it really could be worse, hey?" He reasoned, to which his team still shook their heads.

"Sure, it could be worse, but it sure as hell could be better" Indigo responded. Topaz shook his head in mock sadness.

"There's just no pleasing you, is there?" He joked, to which Indigo laughed.

"Apparently not"

"That's just because you have unreasonably high standards" Grizzle pointed out, to which Indigo loudly exclaimed.

"I do not!"

"Yes, you really do!" He shot back.

"Hey! I'm not a stuck up bitch like Regalia is!" She fired back in return, earning the ire of the girl sitting next to her.

"Really? I'm the stuck up bitch? Just because you can't get in with Jaune there's no need to take your anger out on me" She said, exploiting her friends well known crush on the headmaster.

"Oh, come now, that is hardly fair game" Topaz said as the bickering intensified.

"What, so we can't pick on your crush on Regalia? Shame" Grizzle said, as Topaz's face went bright red and Regalia blushed and looked away.

"That was petty" Indigo admitted. "But I still liked it" She said as she high fived Grizzle.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up" Regalia muttered as she crossed her arms and refused to look her leader in the eye. He was doing the same.


End file.
